A U.S. Delegation Goes to Turkey to Negotiate on Iran Sanctions

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official announced that a delegation from the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury will travel to Ankara to meet with Turkish officials and discuss U.S. sanctions against Iran. According to Reuters, the unnamed official stated that this delegation, which recently held discussions with Indian officials on this matter, will arrive in Ankara this Friday. The delegation will meet with individuals from financial institutions related to the sanctions on Iran, as well as officials from the Treasury and Foreign Ministries. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Turkey also confirmed the negotiations between the parties on Friday, focusing on U.S. sanctions against Iran. This visit comes as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently stated that Ankara would continue its trade relations with Iran despite U.S. officials asking other countries to cut oil imports from Iran. In a television interview, Cavusoglu said, 'If U.S. decisions aim to establish peace and stability, we support them, but we are not obliged to comply with all their decisions. Being an ally does not mean we have to implement their decisions word for word.' Cavusoglu described Iran as 'a good neighbor and economic ally' for Turkey, stating, 'We do not intend to cut our economic relations with Iran at the request of other countries.' Two days earlier, Turkey's Minister of Economy had announced that the country's policies regarding oil purchases from Iran depend solely on UN sanctions, and Ankara will make decisions based on its own interests in other matters. Nihat Zeybekci responded to reports regarding the U.S. request for its allies to stop buying Iranian oil, stating, 'From Turkey's perspective, the U.S. decision is not binding.' Zeybekci's remarks coincided with the day when the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, during a meeting with India's Prime Minister, called for a reduction in New Delhi's dependence on Iranian oil. Nikki Haley stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'is fully aware of our positions on Iran and did not ask any questions about it. He had no criticism. He understood the situation, just as he knows that India-U.S. relations are strong and should remain so.' Turkey, a NATO member, is almost entirely dependent on imports for its energy needs. Statistics show that the country imported 3.077 million tons of crude oil from Iran during the first four months of this year. U.S. officials had previously emphasized that Washington is working to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero by November when U.S. sanctions against Tehran are reimposed. However, these statements were somewhat moderated in subsequent days, with another U.S. official explaining that Washington wants to 'convince as many customers as possible to completely stop buying oil from Iran.' According to him, the U.S. is negotiating separately with each oil customer that is reducing its purchases from Iran to force Iran to change its 'threatening behaviors.'