US Imposes Sanctions on Hundreds of Individuals and Entities: Turkey Included in the List
The U.S. has announced new sanctions against a number of countries, including Turkey, for allegedly circumventing sanctions imposed on Russia. According to announcements made by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of State, this sanction decision targets approximately 400 individuals and entities from more than 10 countries. The U.S. took this comprehensive step to prevent the evasion of sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to reports, a U.S. State Department official described this move as the most coordinated effort to prevent the circumvention of sanctions through third countries so far. The sanctions list also includes dozens of companies based in China, Hong Kong, and India. This is considered a first in terms of these countries being targeted by U.S. sanction policies.
Countries including Turkey, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Malaysia, and Switzerland are among the targets of the sanctions. Following the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022 and led to thousands of deaths, Russia has attempted to circumvent the sanctions against it. However, Washington has expanded its sanction strategy to thwart these efforts.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on 274 individuals and entities, while the State Department has added over 120 targets to the list. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce has placed 40 companies on a trade restriction list for allegedly providing support to the Russian military. U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo stated that the U.S. and its allies will continue to take decisive steps to halt the flow of critical tools and technologies that Russia could use in the war in Ukraine.
As part of the sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department has included 9 individuals and 14 entities from Turkey on the list. These individuals and entities were sanctioned for allegedly providing weapons and ammunition for Russia's military campaign. It was also noted that this supply chain is directed towards end-users such as the Russian Ministry of Defense and state-owned defense companies.
U.S. officials emphasized that these sanctions aim to disrupt Russia’s supply efforts, mentioning that comprehensive discussions have been held with the Turkish government on these matters. The embassies of Russia, China, and India in Washington did not respond to requests for comments, and the Turkish government also refrained from making a statement.
The U.S. has previously warned about the supply of components, such as microelectronics, to Russia. The U.S. and the European Union are concerned that these components could be used on the battlefield in Ukraine. A State Department official pointed out that exports from India to Russia have increased, and there is growing interest in companies facilitating this situation.
Another official noted that a significant portion of high-priority goods reaching Russia comes from China, with the total value of these goods and services exceeding $22 billion. According to the official, this supply from China constitutes a much larger amount compared to other suppliers. As of the end of 2023, Turkey has become the second-largest supplier of goods to Russia.