"President Erdogan said he aims to strengthen cooperation between Turkey and Russia in a number of areas, namely to expand the volume of trade," the Turkish presidency said.
While quick to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Turkey has declared a neutral stance in the war and has not complied with Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Erdogan justified this policy because of Turkey's dependence on Russian oil and gas.
In September 2023, 5 Turkish companies were subjected to US sanctions for supplying products and services to Russian defense firms.
In a letter sent in August 2022, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury warned Turkish companies of "increased risk" to them in the face of "Russia's attempts to use" Turkey "to circumvent sanctions." | BGNES
