{
  "id": 6406164,
  "title": "Turkey and Russia: Economic Rapprochement amid Political Rivalry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/turkey-and-russia-economic-rapprochement-amid-political-rivalry",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T08:50:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Riddle Russia",
    "slug": "riddle-russia",
    "url": "https://ridl.io/turkey-and-russia-economic-rapprochement-amid-political-rivalry/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Turkey has emerged as one of Moscow's most crucial partners, helping to sustain Russia's economy. However, this economic relationship has not evolved into a strategic partnership. Turkey continues to import goods from Russia for practical reasons but always monitors the situation against Western perspectives and the broader global landscape. Western sanctions have forced Russia to seek alternative routes out of international isolation, and expanding economic cooperation with Turkey has become a key solution.\n\nIn 2022, Russian-Turkish trade reached a turning point, with Russian exports soaring to $68 billion from $33 billion in 2021. Ankara has since become one of Russia's top three trading partners, alongside China, and has even outshined India in some instances. Russian exports to Turkey primarily consist of oil, gas, coal, and petroleum products, accounting for about 70% of all deliveries. Agri-food products follow, worth around $3.8 billion, or roughly 9% of Russian exports. Steel, pig iron, copper, and aluminum also play significant roles in the trade.\n\nA major catalyst for trade expansion has been Rosatom's construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, valued at $20-25 billion. Machinery, steel, pig iron, and copper are supplied for the project. Russian investments in Turkey have soared since 2022, with estimates ranging from $4-6 billion. Russians consistently lead foreign buyers on Turkey's property market, and tourism has also contributed to the personal ties between the two nations. Approximately 6-7 million Russians visit Turkey annually, fostering business relationships.\n\nDespite the strong economic ties, friction persists in both politics and economics. Western pressure on Turkey has been significant, with Ankara having to take steps to mitigate the impact on its relationship with Russia. Since 2022, Turkey has stopped accepting Mir payment cards, blocked the transit of sanctioned goods to Russia, and imposed restrictions on financial operations with Russian counterparts. These measures have had serious consequences, causing a sharp decline in Turkish exports to Russia, plummeting from $9.3-10.9 billion in 2022-2023 to $6.7 billion in 2025. Equipment and electronics shipments have been particularly hard hit, with exports roughly halving during this period.\n\nPolitically, the main contradictions between Turkey and Russia revolve around Turkey's public condemnation of the Ukrainian invasion and its active military support for Ukraine. Ankara has supplied Bayraktar TB2 drones, armored vehicles, mortars, and ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia has expressed displeasure over these actions. Turkey's economic importance to Russia is now so substantial that Moscow cannot afford a harsher response. Ankara's policy on the Black Sea reflects this dynamic, as it supports the closure of the straits to warships from belligerent nations, thus limiting Russia's options in the region.",
  "summary": "Nikita Smagin on Turkish-Russian relations after 2022",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}