Pressure grows on Turkey to ‘sanction’ Russia from the US

The US administration has reportedly warned Turkey not to provide service and technical support to US-made Russian airliners at Turkish airports.

The Wall Street Journal, one of the major US media organs, wrote in the story that US-made planes from Russia and Belarus are provided with services such as refueling and spare parts, warning of sanctions against Turkey. According to the news, which also includes aviation statistics, Boeing planes belonging to Russian and Belarusian airlines have made more than 2,100 flights to Turkey since October 1, 2022.

After Russia invaded the Ukraine, the US administration began to implement export controls, which prohibited Russia from using US-made commercial aircraft. As part of the export control in question, it prohibits commercial aircraft manufactured in the US or with more than 25 percent parts made in the US fly to Russia and Belarus.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE UNITED STATES CAME TO TURKEY

Senior US officials are said to have warned last month that Turkish individuals or institutions violating this sanction will face practices such as fines and imprisonment or loss of export privileges. The Wall Street Journal reported that US Under Secretary of Commerce Thea Rozman Kendler conveyed this message to Turkish officials during her visit to Turkey last month.

The Voice of America news website, affiliated with the US administration, stated that a spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce emphasized that the Office of Export Control had issued a warning to airlines without give details about Turkey. “This step and ongoing discussions, such as Under Secretary of Commerce Kendler’s visit, are important to the United States’ efforts to understand the oversight we are exercising, encourage partnership and compliance, and share information,” the statement said.

‘TECHNICALLY Stolen Planes’

Despite the sanctions decisions of the US and EU countries, Russian airlines continue to fly US Boeing aircraft. Among these flights, there are also regular flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir.

The news also drew attention to the claim that the tail numbers of planes flying to and from Turkey were changed with the start of the sanctions. Experts who spoke to the newspaper argued that these planes, which were leased from an Irish company, are technically currently stolen.

The Wall Street Journal noted that millions of Russian citizens have traveled to Turkey since the start of the Ukrainian occupation. The news commented that the sanctions warning against Turkey is an important test for the success of the long-term goal of the US and its allies to isolate Russia.

The news that Western countries, disturbed by the rapprochement between Turkey and Russia, warned Ankara about sanctions had been on the agenda before.