US warning to Turkey regarding Russia: 'An urgent problem'

The Financial Times, one of the UK's prestigious newspapers, has announced that the Washington administration has warned Ankara over Turkey's export of military equipment and parts to Russia.

The newspaper reported that the Washington administration has stated that Turkey must take further steps to prevent military trade with Russia, noting, "Washington has warned Turkey that there will be consequences if it does not reduce the export of US-origin military-linked equipment that is vital for Russia."

Pointing out that US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matthew Axelrod recently met with Turkish officials and executives in Ankara and Istanbul to stop this trade, the newspaper also included Axelrod's remarks.

'WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS'

A senior US official speaking to the newspaper said that Axelrod's message was that Turkey needs to work harder to prevent the trade of American-origin chips and other parts.

In his statement to the Financial Times, Axelrod said, "We need Turkey's help to stop the illegal flow of US technology to Russia." Axelrod added, "We need to see the Turkish authorities and industry make rapid progress, otherwise we will have no choice but to impose sanctions on those who evade our export controls."

The Financial Times noted that Washington's warning highlights how trade with Russia is straining the relationship between Turkey and the US, while reminding that Turkey has not imposed sanctions on Russia like the US, the EU, and other Western allies.

'AN URGENT PROBLEM'

The British media pointed out that the US is particularly concerned about Turkey sending Western-made electronic devices, including processors, memory cards, and amplifiers, to Russia.

An official speaking to the newspaper said that Axelrod told the Turkish government that this trade is an "urgent problem" and called on Ankara to "ban and enforce the transfer of US-controlled products to Russia." The official added that Moscow is "trying to exploit Turkey's trade policy" to gain access to US parts.

While noting that the US has already imposed sanctions on some Turkish companies, the Financial Times wrote that Turkey's exports to countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan do not appear in those countries' records. While it was stated that Turkey's exports to Russia have decreased recently, the official said, "There have been some improvements recently, but it is not enough; it is still very high."

News Source: 12punto