On Thursday, the administration of President Joe Biden announced penalties on five Turkish firms and a Turkish citizen, accusing them of assisting Russia in evading sanctions and supporting Russia in its conflict against Ukraine.
The designations, which were initially made public by Reuters, are aimed at shipping and trade firms that have been charged with aiding in the repair of vessels linked to Russia's defense ministry that have been sanctioned, as well as the transfer of "dual-use goods."
Biden Admin Sanctions Turkish Firms Over Alleged Russia Support
It is a component of a more extensive set of policies that include penalties against more than 150 Russian targets, including the biggest automaker in the nation.
The move was made at a critical time for relations between the United States and Turkey. Washington hopes Ankara will approve Sweden's participation in NATO when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in early October.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and its allies imposed severe sanctions on Moscow; however, supply routes from Turkey, a country bordering the Black Sea, and other trading centers have remained open, leading Washington to issue repeated advisories about the export of chemicals, microchips, and other products that could be used in Moscow's war effort.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, several senior US officials, including Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, have visited Turkey as part of a pressure campaign to stop any Turkish corporations from assisting Russia in getting through US restrictions.
Margiana Insaat Dis Ticaret and Demirci Bilisim Ticaret Sanayi were among the companies, according to the US Treasury Department, that Russia relied on for importing "critical dual-use goods to support its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine."
It said that while the latter had shipped sensors and measurement devices into Russia, the former had sent hundreds of shipments to sanctioned Russian businesses that are a part of the supply chain for manufacturing military drones used in the conflict in Ukraine.
The corporations were not immediately available for comment by Reuters.
Denkar Ship Construction was subject to penalties by the US State Department for repairing previously flagged ships owned by a firm affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry.
A request for feedback from Denkar has yet to receive a prompt response.
The State Department also targeted CTL Limited, which it claimed was an intermediary transporting electronic components of the US and European provenance to businesses in Russia, as well as the Turkish shipyard agency ID Ship Agency and its owner Ilker Dogruyol, according to Foreign Policy.
New Sanctions Target Russia's Industrial and Automotive Sectors
In addition to facilities manufacturing and maintaining Russian weapons equipment, the broader package of sanctions also targets Russia's industrial base, maritime industry, and technology providers. Avtovaz, the largest automaker in Russia, was among those who received penalties, and another automaker, GAZ Group, also received fresh ones. Avtovaz opted not to respond.
Sanctions were also put in place by the US against the Russian Copper Company, a significant local copper producer. The company did not immediately answer an inquiry for comments.
As Washington tightens down on sanctions evasion, a Finland-based network specializing in transporting foreign gadgets to end-users in Russia was also the subject of the operation. Siberica Oy and Luminor Oy, two logistics companies with offices in Finland, were sanctioned by the Treasury after being charged with smuggling many electronics into Russia.
The action also damaged Russia's construction industry, revenue streams from the extractive industries, banks, wealth management consulting, audits, and investment firms with a Russian base. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately answer an inquiry for comment.
NATO member Turkey has made an effort to retain cordial ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the conflict. It has stated that Russia's military may utilize no supplies sent to Turkey and that it opposes the sanctions in principle.
Because Turkey refused to back Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership applications after Russia invaded Ukraine, relations with the United States have been strained. Finland was officially admitted in April, while Turkey and Hungary are still delaying Sweden's application.
According to State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller, Washington is not concerned that the sanctions put in place on Thursday could thwart Sweden's attempt to join NATO, South China reported.