US officials have said that Washington is pressuring Ankara to stop Turkey from flying US-made aircraft to and from Russian airlines. It is emphasized that this is a new push to convince countries to apply sanctions, writes The Wall Street Journal.

 In December 2022, senior U.S. officials said Turkish individuals could face prison terms, fines, loss of export privileges and other measures if they provide fuel and spare parts for U.S. aircraft flying to Russia and Belarus in violation of export controls. entered earlier. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Thea Roseman Candler warned about this during a visit to Turkey, sources said.

 Turkey's warning is said to be a "key test" of whether the US and its allies can succeed in isolating Russia long-term and whether Moscow can find a way to continue economic activity with the help of third countries.

 A spokesman for the US Commerce Department said the agency could not comment on specifics. According to him, the Office of Export Control recently warned foreign airlines to comply with US export controls on the maintenance of Russian, Belarusian and Iranian commercial aircraft.

 "This action and ongoing engagement, such as Assistant Secretary of State Candler's visit, is important to U.S. efforts to ensure understanding of our controls, encourage partnerships and compliance, and share information," the spokesman said.

 In February 2022, in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration imposed export controls that bar Russia from using American-made aircraft without a license issued by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. Also prohibited from using aircraft containing more than 25% US-made parts.

 However, Russian airlines continue to fly Boeing Co. planes. in defiance of Western sanctions. According to data from the aviation analysis company Cirium, since October 1, Russian and Belarusian airlines, including Moscow's state-owned Aeroflot, have made more than 2,100 flights to Turkey on American-made aircraft, including Boeing 777, 757 and 737. The flights include regular flights from Moscow destinations , including Istanbul, Izmir and the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. In addition, flight records show that the same planes that flew to Turkey also traveled to India, Thailand and other destinations.

Flights to Turkey may attract particular international attention due to its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its status as a major tourist and transit hub. Istanbul's airport is one of the busiest in Europe and a key transit point for Russians who can no longer fly directly to the continents. and to other parts of the world," WSJ writes.