Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday stated throughout a phone conversation with his Russian equivalent Vladimir Putin that he wants to expand trade in between Ankara and Moscow.
President Erdogan declared that he aimed to increase the cooperation in between Turkey and Russia in a number of locations, especially expanding the volume of trade, the Turkish presidency stated in a statement.While swiftly condemning Russias intrusion of Ukraine, Turkey stated a neutral stance in the war and did not match Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.Erdogan has validated the policy due to Turkeys reliance on Russian oil and gas.Five Turkish companies were targeted by American sanctions in September 2023 for providing services and products to Russian defense firms.In a letter sent out in August 2022, the United States deputy treasury secretary cautioned Turkish companies of an increased threat to them in the face of Russias attempts to use Turkey to evade sanctions.