Erdogan: We Will Not Follow U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, stated on Tuesday that Turkey considers the reinstatement of U.S. sanctions against Iran as "incorrect" and will not comply with these sanctions. He remarked that the aim of U.S. sanctions against Iran is to "disrupt the balance of the world" and added that he does not want to live in "an imperialistic world." The second round of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, which began with Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, has been in effect since February 3 and particularly targets Iran's energy and banking sectors. Erdogan's comments come a day after this date, and despite the U.S. declaring its efforts to reduce Iran's oil sales to zero, it has temporarily exempted eight countries from its sanctions, one of which is Turkey. However, Erdogan, speaking in the parliament and to reporters, harshly criticized the U.S. sanctions against Iran, describing them as "a step towards disrupting the balance of the world." He also stated, "We do not want to live in an imperialistic world," and this issue should be discussed at the upcoming meeting in Paris this weekend. The Paris meeting, commemorating the end of World War I, will take place in France, and it is expected that Erdogan and Trump will meet on the sidelines to discuss the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran and U.S. policy regarding Syria. In his remarks, the Turkish President explicitly stated, "We will not comply with these sanctions. We purchase 10 billion cubic meters of gas (from Iran), and we cannot allow our citizens to freeze in the cold." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also stated in Japan on the same day that isolating Iran is dangerous. He noted that sanctions lead nowhere and that dialogue between the parties is more effective than sanctions. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and senior members of his administration have announced that by reinstating the most severe sanctions against the Islamic Republic, they intend to pressure Iran to change its behavior regarding its nuclear and missile programs and its support for militia groups in the Middle East. According to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the new round of sanctions includes 50 Iranian banks and their subsidiaries, and in the shipping and energy sectors, it includes over 200 individuals and vessels. Iran's national airline (Iran Air) and 67 of its aircraft will also be targeted by the sanctions. U.S. officials have stated that Iran's Atomic Energy Agency and 23 affiliated entities and individuals have been placed on the new sanctions list. Pompeo has indicated that due to U.S. pressures, more than 20 countries have stopped purchasing oil from Iran, resulting in a reduction of Iran's oil exports by more than one million barrels per day and a loss of $2.5 billion in oil revenues for Iran.