U.S. officials press Turkey to curb tech trade aiding Russia
The U.S. government has urged Turkish authorities to stop supplying Russia with microchips and other components used in military equipment, according to a report by the Financial Times on Aug. 7.
Journalists reported that U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matthew Axelrod recently visited Ankara and Istanbul, where he met with Turkish officials to express Washington's concerns over the matter. Axelrod emphasized that Turkey must do more to halt the trade of microchips and other parts that play a significant role in Russia's war against Ukraine.
“We need Turkey to help us stop the illegal flow of American technology to Russia,” Axelrod said. “We need to see progress, and fast, from the Turkish government and industry, or we will have no choice but to impose sanctions on those who evade our export controls.”
The Financial Times noted that the U.S. is particularly worried about Turkey becoming a key hub for Western-made electronics — including processors, memory cards, and amplifiers — that are reaching Russia and being installed in missiles and drones.
How Russia circumvents Western sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on April 25 against more than a dozen legal entities and individuals who facilitated the covert sale of Iranian drones to the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Logistics (MODAFL). U.S. officials claim that this agency supplies drones to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.
On July 17, Reuters reported that a German court sentenced a man with dual German-Russian citizenship to six years and nine months in prison for selling electronics to Russian companies. According to the investigation, the 59-year-old man delivered 120,000 components to Russia that could be used for military purposes between January 2020 and May 2023.
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