Turkey’s Reaction to New Western Sanctions Against Russia

According to informed sources quoted by Reuters, Turkey’s largest oil refineries have significantly raised their purchases from non-Russian suppliers in response to the new sanctions by the U.S., the European Union and the UK against Russia.
According to Rokna, citing Reuters, two informed and several industry sources said that Turkey has cut its imports of Russian oil due to Western sanctions and is now seeking to procure oil from alternative sources.
Alongside China and India, Turkey has been one of the principal buyers of Russian oil. But now Turkish companies, like Indian refineries, are reducing their reliance on Russian crude.
Reports indicate that the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR in Turkey, purchased four crude oil cargoes from Iraq, Kazakhstan and other producers not in Russia. Previously, almost all of STAR’s crude oil had been sourced from Russia.
Another major Turkish refinery, Tüpraş, has also increased its procurement from non-Russian sources. According to informed sources, the company is preparing to entirely eliminate Russian oil so that it can continue fuel exports to Europe.