The substantial increase in Turkey’s exports of vital goods to Russia has raised alarms over potential sanctions evasion, prompting urgent diplomatic discussions and potential repercussions for Turkey’s relations with NATO.

In 2023, Turkish exports of essential goods crucial for Moscow’s military production have experienced a significant spike, Euro News reported.

This surge has heightened concerns about potential sanctions circumvention, as both the United States and the European Union actively aim to restrict Russia’s access to dual-use goods via third-party nations.

During the first nine months of 2023, Turkey reported a remarkable €144 million in exports of 45 goods, including microchips designated as “high priority” by the US, to Russia and five “former Soviet countries” suspected of serving as intermediaries for Moscow.

This figure is three times higher than the corresponding period in the previous year, surpassing the average of €26 million recorded from 2015 to 2021.

Written by B.C. Begley