Türkiye blocks military-linked exports to Russia following US warning

Türkiye has discreetly prohibited the export of U.S. military-related hardware to Russia after Washington warned Ankara of potential “consequences” if the trade continued. 

According to three sources familiar with the situation, in recent weeks, Türkiye has adjusted its customs systems to block the export of over four dozen categories of U.S.-origin goods deemed critical to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Türkiye’s electronic customs system has been modified to prevent exporters from sending shipments of so-called “battlefield goods” to Russia, which had previously been permitted. Similar restrictions on goods from the EU were implemented earlier and continue to be enforced, as noted by two of the sources.

These trade restrictions, impacting civilian components such as microchips and remote control systems that Western allies assert are being utilized in weaponry, were not made public due to “political sensitivities,” according to one insider. Additionally, Turkish banks have significantly reduced their transactions with Russian counterparts this year following a U.S. executive order threatening sanctions against lenders involved in transactions supporting the Kremlin’s military efforts.

Türkiye's export restrictions coincide with U.S. efforts to cut off Russia's access to Western technology essential for its military systems, two years after Moscow initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The banned items come from a list of 50 “high-priority” Western-made products identified by the U.S., UK, EU, and Japan as crucial for Russia’s arms industry.

These items include advanced electronics commonly found in missiles and drones that have been downed in Ukraine, such as processors and memory cards, as well as machine tools and other equipment used for weapon production.

China remains the largest supplier of these high-priority goods, shipping $377 million to Russia in July 2024. Meanwhile, India’s exports to Russia have surged to nearly $100 million per month, primarily driven by a significant increase in the flow of computers and computing components, including Chinese-assembled Apple computers and high-end servers intended for use in artificial intelligence-focused data centres.

By Tamilla Hasanova