US and EU increase pressure on Turkey over sanctions on Russia

A reputable news media portal has announced that the US and the EU have increased pressure on Turkey regarding sanctions against Russia. It has been reported that the United States and the European Union (EU) are preparing to increase pressure on Turkey over the sanctions imposed on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, launched on February 24.

According to the report published today by said media group and based on two officials from Western countries, the US and the EU are concerned that the banking sector in Turkey will become an area for conducting irregular financial transactions and that Russia will open a channel through which sanctions will be violated.

THOSE WHO USE THE MIR SYSTEM ARE ON TARGET

According to the news, Western officials have said that the United States pay attention to Turkish banks involved in Russia’s local payment system called Mir, while Brussels has formed a delegation to directly convey its concerns to Turkish officials.

Vakıfbank, one of the largest banks in Turkey, Ziraat Bank, Iş Bank, Denizbank and Halkbank are among the banks included in the Mir system. Mir was developed by the Central Bank of Russia as an alternative to Visa and Mastercard.

The report also suggests that Halkbank was notorious for its role in a scheme to evade the US embargo on Iran.