Turkey re-exports Russian oil to EU despite sanctions, study says
A study by two European research centers argues that Turkey has become a key country for the re-export of Russian oil products to the European Union (EU), circumventing international sanctions.
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Since sanctions on Russia were implemented in February 2023, and up until February 2024, the EU imported €3.1 billion worth of oil products from three Turkish ports (Ceyhan, Marmara Ereglisi and Mersin), according to a study by the Finnish Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD).
During this period, 86% of the oil products imported by Turkey originated in Russia, the study found.
The report highlights that in 2023, Turkey became the world’s largest buyer of Russian oil products, importing 18% of Russia’s total exports.
Since the EU and G7 ban came into force in February 2023, and up until February 2024, Turkey imported €17.6 billion worth of Russian oil products, generating €5.4 billion in tax revenue for the Kremlin.
The EU imported 5.16 million tonnes of oil products, worth €3.1 billion, from three Turkish ports: Ceyhan, Marmara Ereglisi and Mersin, none of which have refineries, the document reads.
The study adds that Russian oil products are re-exported from Turkey to the EU, exploiting loopholes that allow for blending at storage and export terminals.
The document also mentions that Turkey’s domestic consumption of oil products grew by 8% in 2023.
However, seaborne imports of oil products increased by 56%, suggesting that Turkey re-exports these goods, in addition to meeting domestic demand.
The report gives the example of a case in May 2023, when the Toros Ceyhan oil terminal in the port of Ceyhan received 26,923 tonnes of diesel from the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
Ten days later, the terminal shipped a similar volume of gasoil to the Motor Oil Hellas Corinth refinery in Greece, exploiting a loophole that allows for blends of Russian oil products.
The five EU member states with the largest imports of oil from Turkey between February 2023 and February 2024 are Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Romania.
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