Turkey has secured a three-month extension of the U.S. sanctions waiver, allowing it to continue paying for Russian natural gas imports through a U.S.-sanctioned Russian bank, according to a Turkish official familiar with the matter.
Turkey, which imports about half of its natural gas from Russia, first received the waiver in December after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank in late November. Before this, the U.S. Treasury had not sanctioned Gazprombank, a key payment channel for European customers purchasing Russian gas.
Along with other European customers still importing Russian gas, Turkey uses Gazprombank for these transactions.
Currently, Turkey imports almost all the natural gas it consumes, with the majority coming from Russia. In November, Turkey requested a U.S. waiver to continue using Gazprombank for these payments while also engaging in talks with Russian officials about the future of energy trade and payments.
Earlier this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Turkey’s Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek. They discussed U.S. efforts to increase pressure on Iran to address its nuclear threat, missile programs, and support for terrorism. They also covered sanctions and other economic and national security issues of mutual interest.
Hungary, another European Union country still importing Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, has also been granted a similar sanctions waiver. Unlike other EU nations, Hungary has maintained strong ties with Russia, with key officials like Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Prime Minister Viktor Orban frequently visiting Moscow for discussions with Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin.
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