Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he welcomes both the sanctioned Russian oligarchs into his country as tourists and investors, as long as trade relations remain within the framework of international law.
Turkey recently took the lead in salvaging the $2 million superyacht allegedly belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, effectively bypassing Western sanctions. CNBC.
It is estimated that Abramovich will set up a total of $1.2 billion in a non-EU country – experts say at least $600 million worth of yachts.
Meanwhile, Abramovich is trying to divert his fortune from the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which have targeted Russia’s wealthy elite. According to Turkey, this is a legitimate move – as long as the yachts remain outside the territorial waters of the sanctioned countries, which extend 12 nautical miles from the coast.
In response to a question from CNBC, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said all activities should be legal.
“We are implementing the sanctions approved by the United Nations, so if any Russian citizen wants to visit Turkey, he can, of course, visit Turkey,” he added. Tell He added that Russian oligarchs can do any business in Turkey provided that it is legal and does not contradict international law. “If it’s against international law, then that’s another story,” he added.
Turkey has been highly critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but opposes in principle the sanctions imposed by its NATO allies. Given its diplomatic and economic ties with Russia, particularly regarding imports of Russian gas, and its sometimes volatile relationship with Western partners, this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Turkey has emerged as a neutral mediator and valuer in the negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently. praised and praised The country they will “do their best” for.
Cavusoglu was present when Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Dmitro Kuleba met in early March in the Turkish resort of Antalya. However, these discussions did not lead to a clear conclusion. Cavusoglu also recently traveled to Russia and Ukraine to negotiate with Lavrov and Kuleba separately, and when asked by journalists at the time, “the parties’ positions were close on important issues.”
Turkey over the years has close relations built out It also depends on Russia in areas such as defense, energy, trade and tourism in the country. Ankara also sold drones to Kyiv, which angered Moscow.
