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ANKARA, January 18 State-owned banks in Turkey have partially resumed accepting payments from Russia, a source in the country’s banking system said on condition of anonymity.
“They have begun to carry out some translations,” he said.
At the same time, the agency’s interlocutor refused to specify which sectors exporters can already receive transfers. The situation with Russian payments through private banks is planned to be normalized by January 25, he added.
The head of one of the Turkish companies that supplies cosmetics and household products to Russia confirmed that some exporters have begun to receive transfers.
According to the Ekonomim newspaper, since January 1, Turkish exporters have been faced with bank refusals to accept money transfers from Russia intended to pay for goods. Exporters are waiting for urgent decisions; the Turkish Ministry of Trade has taken up the issue. According to Ambassador in Ankara Alexey Erkhov, diplomats are in contact with the authorities on this issue.
As a source in Ankara said, the problem is partly related to pressure on Turkey due to Western sanctions. But, he added, the banking sector has not received any evidence that the Turkish side is helping to circumvent these restrictions.
Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that they will not join sanctions against Russia, but will not allow them to be circumvented. As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Ankara will do what it wants, and not what the West demands.