A recent report by a European think tank revealed that the European Union has imported petroleum products worth three billion euros from Turkish ports, which mainly handle Russian petroleum.

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) believe this trade has effectively circumvented the EU and G7 sanctions against Russian petroleum products.

Since the EU and G7's ban on the import of Russian petroleum products came into effect on February 5, 2023, until the end of February 2024, the EU has imported 5.16 million tons of petroleum products worth 3.1 billion euros from Turkey's ports of Ceyhan, Marmara Ereğlisi, and Mersin. These ports, which lack refining capabilities, have imported 86 percent of their petroleum products from Russia during this period, turning Turkey into a major re-export hub.

Imports of petroleum from Russia to Turkey have increased more than fivefold over the past decade. By 2023, Turkey became the largest buyer of Russian petroleum products, receiving 18 percent of Russia’s total exports. This dependence grew from 52 percent in 2022 to 72 percent in 2023, showing a deeper reliance on refined Russian products such as diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.

Research by these two European institutes indicated that European entities might have imported Russian petroleum products that were either blended with products from other sources or re-exported from Turkish storage terminals.

According to Oil Price, the rerouting of Russian petroleum exports through Turkey has not only circumvented sanctions but has also provided Russia with significant tax revenue, estimated at 5.4 billion euros. These two European institutes have called for stricter EU regulations, more stringent enforcement of origin rules, and investigations into these shipments to prevent further circumvention of sanctions.