Why Turkey Has Banned the Transit of Goods to Russia: Bloomberg

The halt of goods transit through Turkey to Russia is linked to the implementation of Western sanctions. The Turkish leadership made this decision on March 1, according to Bloomberg, referring to a senior Turkish official who wished to remain anonymous.

The agency's source indicated that the suspension of the entire supply chain is due to pressure from the European Union (EU) and the United States. The agency did not provide further details.

Officially, Ankara has not commented on the situation. Issues related to transit became known on March 6. A representative of the Russian Embassy in Turkey stated that the diplomatic mission is in contact with Turkish authorities and is trying to resolve the situation, but did not disclose details of the negotiations.

In turn, the CEO of Optimal Logistics, Georgi Vlastopulon, citing Turkish partners, said that the problems are related to a reconfiguration of the system used for processing transit. According to him, there was a disruption in the process of adding goods after the tenth package of sanctions, which needs to be resolved by Monday, March 13.

Turkey has been the most suitable hub for supplying sanctioned goods to circumvent restrictions. As market participants note, it is possible to establish new routes, for example, through the UAE, and then via Iran or Central Asian countries; however, such schemes are more complex from a logistics perspective, and therefore more expensive.