U.S. Treasury official warns Russia trying to bypass Western sanctions via Turkey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Turkish Deputy Finance Minister Yunus Elitas that Russian entities and individuals were attempting to use Turkey to bypass Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, the Treasury Department said.

In a phone call, the two also discussed ongoing efforts to implement and enforce the sanctions against Russia, the department said in a statement.

In its own readout of the call, the Turkish finance ministry said Elitas had stressed Turkey’s deep economic and political relations with both Russia and Ukraine but also assured Adeyemo that Ankara would not allow any violation of the sanctions.

“Elitas confirmed that Turkey’s position has not changed regarding the current processes and sanctions, but that it would not allow the breaching of sanctions by any institution or person,” the ministry said.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Gareth Jones)