Turkey's Request for Permanent Exemption from US Oil Sanctions Against Iran

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Foreign Minister, on Tuesday, November 20, after meeting with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo, called for a permanent exemption for Ankara from US sanctions against Iran. According to the Associated Press, the Turkish Foreign Minister, speaking to reporters at his country's embassy in Washington, stated that he raised Turkey's request in this regard with Mr. Pompeo. Two weeks ago, the US announced that eight countries, including Turkey, were temporarily exempt from its oil sanctions against Iran. Mevlut Cavusoglu said that a permanent exemption for Turkey is a necessity as the country cannot bear the costs of not purchasing oil from Iran any longer. The Turkish Foreign Minister emphasized that his country cannot find alternative sources for importing Iranian oil. The US had previously stated that upon exiting the JCPOA, it would give customers of Iran until mid-November to completely stop purchasing oil from the Islamic Republic. However, this position was later adjusted, and recently US officials acknowledged that they are negotiating exemptions with some customers. The exemption from US sanctions for the eight mentioned countries has been granted for six months. During the previous round of sanctions (2012 to 2015), the US also provided customers of Iran with opportunities to significantly reduce their oil purchases every six months. According to the Associated Press, Mevlut Cavusoglu also stated at his press conference that the differences between the US and Turkey are deep. The Turkish Foreign Minister said that the Trump administration's efforts to 'marginalize' Iran are 'irrational' and 'dangerous' for stability throughout the Middle East. He also criticized the US approach to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. In this context, Mike Pompeo also stated after his meeting with Mevlut Cavusoglu that US-Turkey relations are improving following the release of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor. The Foreign Minister welcomed the positive trend in the improvement of relations between the two countries after the release of Pastor Brunson and called for resolving other contentious issues between the two countries. Mike Pompeo stated that the US remains concerned about the situation of local employees at the US consulate and a NASA scientist who are in detention. Serkan Golge, a 37-year-old dual citizen of Turkey and the US, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for alleged membership in the Fethullah Gülen network. Turkey considers Fethullah Gülen, a dissident cleric residing in the US, to be the mastermind behind the failed coup attempt in 2016 and has demanded his extradition to Turkey. However, Gülen has denied these allegations.