Turkey has been in the spotlight this week as two multimillion-dollar super-yachts allegedly belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich come to shore of its coastal waters – literally bypassing Western sanctions. The Solaris, a super yacht linked to the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, is docked at a marina in Bodrum, southwestern Turkey, on March 21, 2022. Ιχα | via Reuters With a value of about $ 600 million each or more, Abramovich appears to be parking $ 1.2 billion in the non-EU country as he tries to move his assets away from the US, UK and EU governments targeting the wealthy. elite of Russia. Turkey has said it is a legal move – as long as the yachts remain outside the territorial waters of the imposing countries, which stretch 12 nautical miles off the coast. Speaking to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble at the Doha Forum in Qatar, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu said any activity should be legal. “We are applying UN-approved sanctions, so if any Russian citizen wants to visit Turkey, of course, he can visit Turkey. Now the Russians are coming to visit Turkey, that is not a problem,” he said. Asked if this extends to investment and business, Tsavousoglu replied: “If you mean that these oligarchs can do any business in Turkey, then of course if it is legal and not contrary to international law, I will look into it.” he said. “If it is against international law, then that is another story,” he added.
Mediator
Turkey has strongly criticized Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, but opposes sanctions imposed by its NATO allies on the ground. Given its diplomatic and economic ties with Russia, particularly with regard to Russian gas imports, and its occasionally volatile relations with Western partners, this is unlikely to change any time soon. Turkey has been positioned as a neutral and valuable mediator in talks between Russia and Ukraine, with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently praising the country for “doing what it can”. This has made it a destination of choice for Russians who want to maintain their wealth and invest in an increasingly inhospitable global market. Tsavousoglu was present when Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba met in the Turkish city of Antalya earlier in March. These discussions have failed to bring clear results. Tsavousoglu recently traveled to both Russia and Ukraine for talks with both Lavrov and Kuleba, telling reporters that there was an “approach on both sides’ positions on important issues.” Turkey has forged close ties with Russia over the years in areas such as defense, energy and trade, and also relies on tourism from the country. But Ankara has also sold drones to Kyiv, something that has angered Moscow.
Russian missile defense systems
— CNBC’s Karen Gilchrist contributed to this article.
