Turkey seeks alternate oil sources as US ends Iran sanctions waivers
Ankara vowed to defy US sanctions on Iran, but figures show Turkey heeding US restrictions and curtailing oil imports from Iran.
Despite striking a defiant tone on Washington’s decision to end sanctions waivers for Iranian oil imports, Turkey seems to be complying with the sanctions regime, as Iranian imports recently shrank to zero. The situation, however, is bringing a new problem to light: finding alternative sellers of oil.
Iranian sanctions have been added to a long list of problems plaguing US-Turkey ties, which are already strained over American support for the Syrian Kurds and Turkey’s commitment to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system.
The sanctions waivers the Donald Trump administration granted to eight countries, including Turkey, to import oil from Iran have come to an end. Ankara’s efforts to negotiate an extension for the waivers failed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Iranian exports will be reduced to zero and there will be no more waivers.
The first reaction from Turkey was a pledge to defy the decision. “Sanctions are unjustified and we are not going to comply with them. We are against such forceful measures,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said April 22.
