Turkey has suspended exports of military items to Russia that are used in its war in Ukraine following pressure from the US government.
The FT reports that the Turkish government, led by president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has secretly banned the sale of civilian parts including microchips and systems for remote control. It has sought to keep this change under wraps due to “political sensitivities”, the report quotes a Turkish official as saying.
Turkish customs systems have been changed to block the export of “battlefield goods”, including over 48 categories of goods originating from the US.
It follows a similar move away from working with Russia by Turkey’s banks earlier this year, when the US president Joe Biden issued an executive order threatening sanctions on banks that carried out transactions on behalf of Russia and its military.
The banned goods are derived from a ‘high-priority’ list set out by the UK, EU, US and Japan, specifying goods considered crucial to Russia for its war effort.
Earlier surge
Following the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Turkish exports to Russia began increasing from a monthly figure of US$3m to $38m by December 2022.
More recently, this number fell, hitting $4.1m in August. This fall, the FT’s report suggests, is attributed by some to the re-export of Turkey’s goods to Russia via Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, two countries which remain unaffected by the new restrictions.
Matthew Axelrod, assistant commerce secretary at the US Bureau of Industry and Security, spoke to Turkey earlier in the year to warn of “consequences” if it continued to support Russia’s war effort through exports. He said of reports that it was putting restrictions on these exports:
“We believe the Turkish government heard and understands our concerns. We’re optimistic we’ll see increased cooperation going forward.”
BRICS
The report comes in light of the ongoing summit of BRICS nations in Russia this week.
As noted by Reuters, the summit saw leaders including Narendra Modi speak on the war in Ukraine. Modi said of the conflict that “we believe that problems should be resolved only through peaceful means.”
“We fully support the early restoration of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity. India is ready to provide all possible support in the times to come.”
The meeting has also been notable for including the first formal talks between Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in five years, with Xi stating:
“It is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples for China and India to correctly grasp the trend of history and the direction of development of their relations.”
Dropping the dollar
A communique issued at the summit included a commitment to seek an alternative payment system to the US dollar, but failed to provide a timeline on its development or introduction.
“The dollar is being used as a weapon,” said Putin.
The Guardian reports the Russian leader’s claim that nearly 95% of trade between Russia and China is now done in rubles and yuan.