The docking of two superyachts belonging to a sanctioned Russian-Israeli oligarch at a resort in southwestern Turkey has reignited debate over the country’s role in illicit financing.

Over the past three days, Roman Abramovich’s Bermuda-registered Eclipse and My Solaris yachts anchored at marinas in Marmaris and Bodrum, respectively, amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to Russian billionaires with links to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Abramovich, who owns Britain’s premier league Chelsea soccer club, was sanctioned by the UK and is also on the European Union’s list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their association with Russia’s strongman. The Wall Street Journal reported today that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had allegedly asked the White House to hold off sanctions drafted by the US Treasury Department for Abramovich because the billionaire might serve as a valuable mediator due to his close ties to Putin. 

Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance and a formal candidate for membership of the EU, has not joined in on sanctions against Russia. It has instead sought to carve out a middle ground designed to keep both Russia and the anti-Kremlin coalition adequately assuaged. The question of whether this tenuous balance is sustainable or not is a matter of persistent debate.