Amid increasing US and European pressure on Ankara, Turkey this month suspended transit to Russia of goods subject to Western sanctions.

This is reported by Reuters.

The report states that the Turkish government has handed over a list of prohibited foreign goods to companies and instructed them not to ship them to Russia from March 1.

The head of the Istanbul Association of Exporters of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Cetin Tekdelioglu said that any goods on this list are blocked for import from Russia, regardless of the country of origin.

Instead, the official notes that Ankara gave verbal assurances to the European Commission that from March 1, goods will not be transported to the territory of Russia if they are subject to EU, US or UK sanctions and export controls.

It should be noted that due to the invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, Western countries introduced record sanctions against Moscow.

However, this did not prevent Turkey from keeping supply channels open.

In response, Washington warned last month about the export of chemicals, microchips and other products that could be used by Moscow for military purposes.

"NATO member Ankara has sought to balance its good relations with both Moscow and Kiev under conditions of war. It opposes the sanctions in principle, but says that they cannot be circumvented in Turkey and that no products supplied can be used by the Russian military," the report says.

Given the "serious warnings" of Western governments, it was an "opportunity" to avoid a confrontation with the EU, where half of Turkish exports go as part of a single customs union, Tekdelioglu told reporters.

"There was a list of restrictions on re-exports from free trade zones to Russia from March and an instruction was given," he said.

The day before, it became known that 

Turkey

will no longer service Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which are used by Russian and Belarusian companies.

The relevant decision was made in the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade. 

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