US warns Türkiye of “consequences” over military-linked exports to Russia

The United States has issued a stern warning to Türkiye, signalling potential repercussions if the country does not take decisive action to limit its exports of American-origin military-linked hardware to Russia.

The warning comes amid concerns that Türkiye's trade practices are undermining Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Matthew Axelrod, the US Assistant Commerce Secretary responsible for overseeing efforts to prevent sensitive technology from reaching adversaries, recently conducted meetings with Turkish officials and industry leaders in Ankara and Istanbul. The focus of these discussions was to address the illicit trade of critical American components that are vital to Russia's military operations.

Axelrod emphasized the urgency of the situation in a statement to the Financial Times, stating, “We need Türkiye to help us stop the illicit flow of US technology to Russia. We need to see progress, and quickly, by Turkish authorities and industry or we will have no choice but to impose consequences on those that evade our export controls.”

The US concerns are heightened by Türkiye’s continued strong trade relations with Russia, which contrasts sharply with the sanctions imposed by the US, EU, and other Western allies since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite the international sanctions, Türkiye has not only maintained but expanded its trade with Russia.

Washington is particularly worried about Türkiye becoming a critical conduit for Western-made electronics—such as processors, memory cards, and amplifiers—that are being used in Russian missiles and drones, in violation of export controls. Additionally, there are significant concerns regarding the export of machine tools.