Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the US granted Turkey an exemption from the Gazprombank sanction.
After talks between the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with US officials, Minister Bayraktar announced that Turkey can continue to make natural gas debt payments through Gazprombank.
After Gazprombank was included in the US sanctions list, Turkey had insisted on its request for exemption. Pointing out that the US decision would directly affect Turkey’s natural gas trade with Russia, Minister Bayraktar reminded that a similar exemption was granted to Turkey in the past during the Iran sanctions process. Bayraktar said that if there was no exemption, this could mean that Turkey would also be targeted by the sanctions.
Turkey also held talks with Russia on alternative solutions. Russian officials and bureaucrats from ministries had come to Ankara at the end of November to discuss possible scenarios. Bayraktar did not comment on the alternative payment options discussed with Russia.
