"Ukraine War Mediation" Turkey's Military Supplies Export to Russia 'Betrayal'

Indirect Export to Russia via Five Former Soviet Countries

Turkey, which has positioned itself as a mediator in the Ukraine war, has significantly increased its exports of war-related goods subject to export controls to Russia this year. As a member of the Western military alliance NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Turkey is effectively acting as an intermediary aiding Russia's war efforts, heightening tensions among NATO member countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 27th (local time), Turkey exported approximately $158 million worth of 45 sensitive items listed under U.S. export controls to Russia and five former Soviet countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) from January to September this year.

This amount is three times the export volume compared to the same period from January to September last year, when the Russia-Ukraine war began. Considering that the average annual export value from 2015 to 2021 before the war was only $28 million, this figure exceeds five times that amount.

The export-controlled items Turkey sells to Russia and the former Soviet countries include semiconductors, communication equipment, and telescope components. Russia uses these items in missiles, drones, and helicopters attacking Ukraine. Consequently, the United States, the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Japan, and others have banned the import of these items into Russia. However, it is presumed that Turkey is circumventing export sanctions against Russia by routing items that could be used as war materials through the five former Soviet countries.

To secure the volume of exports to Russia and the five former Soviet countries, Turkey has also significantly increased its imports of sensitive items from the Group of Seven (G7) countries. From the beginning of this year to September, Turkey imported $500 million worth of sensitive goods from the G7, a 60% increase compared to the average import volume during the same period from 2015 to 2021.

Signs that Turkey is transporting war materials to Russia via former Soviet countries are detected in various places. Kazakhstan reported that it imported $6.1 million worth of sensitive items from Turkey by September this year, but Turkey's statistics show exports to Kazakhstan of these items amounting to $66 million, ten times higher. Elina Ribakova, a senior researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) and vice president of foreign policy at Kyiv Economic University in Ukraine, said, "It is clear that these items are entering Russia."

The United States is struggling to prevent Turkey's indirect support to Russia. Brian Nelson, U.S. Treasury Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, is scheduled to visit Istanbul and Ankara this week to discuss this issue with Turkey.

Emily Kilcrease, director of the Energy, Economic, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), emphasized, "If Turkey does not strictly enforce trade issues, the U.S. and its allies will have to take enforcement actions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.