Turkey's Opposition to the Resumption of U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

On Tuesday, Turkey's Foreign Minister stated that the country has informed the U.S. of its opposition to sanctions against Iran and is not obligated to comply with them. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Washington will resume sanctions against Iran, and according to a senior U.S. State Department official, the U.S. has told its allies to halt oil imports from Iran by November. However, according to Reuters, the Turkish government has criticized Donald Trump's exit from the nuclear deal with Iran and has openly resisted U.S. pressure to reduce oil imports from Iran. In this context, Mr. Cavusoglu stated at a press conference in Azerbaijan: 'We are not obliged to comply with one country's sanctions against another country. In our view, these sanctions are not right.' He added: 'We clearly told American officials in Ankara that Turkey buys oil and gas from Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Iraq. If we do not import from Iran, how can we compensate for that shortage?' Last week, U.S. officials from the State and Treasury Departments negotiated with their Turkish counterparts regarding Iran's sanctions in Ankara. Following that, the Turkish government announced it is exploring ways to prevent the sanctions from harming the country. Turkey imports nearly all of its energy needs from abroad. According to data from Turkey's Energy Center, in the first four months of this year, the country purchased over three million tons of crude oil from Iran, which accounts for about 55% of its total crude oil needs. Reuters adds that relations between Ankara and Washington have been damaged due to various issues, including several legal cases. Last week, a court in Turkey decided that Andrew Brunson, an American pastor, must remain in jail. This case has intensified disputes between the two sides and has affected the suspension of the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a law prohibiting Turkey from purchasing these jets due to the continued imprisonment of Andrew Brunson and Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems, which are incompatible with NATO weapons. Nevertheless, Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that there is no problem regarding the purchase of these fighter jets and that the U.S. cannot exempt Turkey from this plan. He added: 'The U.S. must understand that applying pressure and punishment regarding Turkey will not yield results. If they treat Turkey with dialogue and respect, they will achieve results.' He emphasized: 'We will not succumb to sanctions, pressure, and threats. Everyone will get used to the new Turkey.'