US Threatens Turkish Companies

Diplomats from the US Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul are visiting Turkish companies and financial institutions, warning them about their trade relations with Russia. This was reported by the Aydınlık newspaper, citing its sources. The information has been conveyed by RIA Novosti.

According to the publication, employees of the US embassy and consulates in Turkey are visiting Turkish companies and financial institutions that do business with Russia, threatening to include them on a sanctions list. Representatives of the companies contacted by the publication revealed that American officials have threatened them by ‘walking door-to-door or directly inviting them to the US embassy buildings.’

An employee of one company, who requested anonymity, stated that one of the officials is Gülin Kan Yükseltan, a specialist in export control at the US Consulate General in Istanbul. The newspaper reported that Yükseltan's business card read, “Export Control Specialist, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce.”

Unnamed businessmen told the newspaper that during the visit, the American officials warned them about the possibility of being added to the sanctions list. According to the publication, the officials told the businessmen that “they found out that they have trade and monetary transfers with Russia” and asked, “why are you doing business with Russia?”

Yükseltan, who was contacted by the newspaper’s correspondent, did not deny the information about the visits, stating that she is not authorized to provide information on this matter.

Since January 1, Turkish exporters have faced refusals from banks to accept monetary transfers from Russia. According to a source from RIA Novosti, the issue is partly related to the pressure from the US on Turkey regarding sanctions.

The Turkish Ministry of Economy is addressing the issue, while Moscow is engaged in dialogue with Ankara. Officially, the Turkish side is aware of the existing problems in payment transfers with Russia, considers the situation not catastrophic, and the relevant agencies of the two countries are working towards resolving the situation, a source from the presidential administration informed RIA Novosti.

At the same time, a banking sector source reported on February 14 that the US is warning several private banks in Turkey about the necessity for thorough checks of monetary transfers with Russia based on their sanctions policy, reaching a threatening tone.