Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a telephone call on Sunday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he wants to expand trade between Ankara and Moscow, Agence France-Presse reported.
“President Erdoğan declared that he aimed to increase the cooperation between Turkey and Russia in a number of areas, notably expanding the volume of trade,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
While swiftly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkey declared a neutral stance in the war and did not match Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Erdoğan has justified the policy due to Turkey’s reliance on Russian oil and gas.
Five Turkish companies were targeted by American sanctions in September 2023 for supplying products and services to Russian defense contractors.
In a letter sent in August 2022, the US deputy treasury secretary warned Turkish companies of an “increased risk” to them in the face of “Russia’s attempts to use” Turkey “to evade sanctions.”