West steps up pressure on Turkish banks over Russia-linked transactions

Western authorities have intensified pressure on Turkish banks engaged in transactions with Russian entities, according to a source at one of Türkiye’s state-owned lenders.

Speaking to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the source said financial regulators and international partners are increasingly demanding tighter scrutiny of operations connected to Russia, amid concerns over sanctions compliance.

“We are observing growing pressure from Western financial regulators and partners, who are demanding stricter oversight of transactions related to Russia and warning about the risks of secondary sanctions,” the source said.

According to the agency’s interlocutor, this involves both formal checks on transactions and informal signals, prompting Turkish banks to act more cautiously when dealing with Russian clients.