US warns Turkiye about sanctions for exporting equipment to Russia

The United States has warned Turkiye about the risks of sanctions for supplying Russia with American equipment that can be used for military purposes, writes the Financial Times.

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U.S. Assistant Commerce Secretary Matthew Axelrod, during a recent trip to Istanbul and Ankara, urged Turkish officials to tighten controls on exports of U.S.-made semiconductor chips and other parts.

"We need Turkiye to help us stop the illicit flow of US technology to Russia. We need to see progress, and quickly, by Turkish authorities and industry or we will have no choice but to impose consequences on those that evade our export controls," Axelrod said in a comment to the FT.

The United States is particularly displeased by the fact that Turkiye has become a key hub for Russia to import Western-made electronics, including processors, memory cards and amplifiers for missiles and drones, as well as machine tools.

Axelrod warned Turkiye that this was an "urgent problem" and called for action to stop these supplies.

There are already 18 Turkish companies on the black list of the Department of Commerce. There will be more and more until the United States sees an improvement, Axelrod said.

In 2024, Turkiye significantly increased exports of dual-purpose goods to Russia or neighboring intermediary countries (such as Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan). According to the FT's calculations, these are supplies worth $85 million, which is several times more compared to $27 million for the same period in 2022.

At the beginning of August 2024, Turkiye ratified the free trade agreement with Ukraine.