CNBC
"‘The stakes here are now massive’: Turkey is threatening to block NATO membership for Sweden and Finland"
Natasha Turak @NATASHATURAK
PUBLISHED TUE, MAY 17 2022
KEY POINTS
* Turkey’s Erdogan has doubled down on his opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance, in a move some analysts say is aimed at gaining concessions.
* NATO ascension for a new member state requires consensus approval from all existing members.
* Turkey, which joined the alliance in 1952, is a crucial player in NATO, boating the second-largest military in the 30-member group after the United States.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has doubled down on his opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance, a move that would be historic for the two Nordic countries in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We will not say ‘yes’ to those [countries] who apply sanctions to Turkey to join security organization NATO,” Erdogan said at a press conference late Monday.
He was referring to Sweden’s suspension of weapons sales to Turkey in 2019 over its military activities in Syria.
Sweden’s foreign ministry said Monday that it planned to send senior officials from both Sweden and Finland to Turkish capital Ankara to address Erdogan’s objections.
But the Turkish leader essentially said they’d be wasting their time.
“Will they come to persuade us?"
"Excuse us, but they shouldn’t bother,” Erdogan said.
He added that the two countries joining would make NATO “a place where representatives of terrorist organizations are concentrated.”
Finland’s foreign ministry responded to a CNBC request for comment, saying that it “implements the UN as well as the EU terrorism sanctions against any person or entity … in accordance with EU legislation” and that “the EU and Turkey have regular dialogues on counterterrorism issues.”
CNBC has also reached out to the Swedish government for comment.
Sweden and Finland have provided refuge to members of Kurdish militant separatist organization the PKK, which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization and which has carried out attacks in Turkey.
The two countries have also provided support for and held high-level meetings with members of the YPG, which is the PKK’s branch in Syria credited for helping defeat ISIS as well as fighting against Turkish forces.
Why is this so crucial?
Sweden and Finland are on the brink of applying for membership to NATO, after the governments of both countries expressed their support for the move to abandon their traditional positions of non-alignment between the alliance and Russia.
This would expand the Western defense organization’s clout and territory and make a dramatic statement in pushing back against Russia, and has already spurred anger and threats from Moscow.
Sweden and Finland are members of the EU, but not NATO, and the latter shares an 830-mile border with Russia.
The two countries joining NATO would give Moscow “more officially registered opponents,” its former president and high-ranking security official Dmitry Medvedev warned in mid-April.
But NATO ascension for a new member state requires consensus approval from all existing members.
While NATO’s leadership has welcomed the news, suggesting the applicants could be accepted into the group quickly, one of its most militarily powerful members stands in the way: Turkey.
Turkey, which joined the alliance in 1952, is a crucial player in NATO, boasting the second-largest military in the 30-member group after the United States.
For both Sweden and Finland, the decision to apply for NATO membership is monumental and was triggered by Russia’s brutal invasion of its neighbor Ukraine, which itself had aspirations to join NATO.
Not until after the invasion did public opinion in both countries soar in favor of joining the 73-year-old defense alliance.
“The stakes here are now massive,” Timothy Ash, emerging markets strategist at Bluebay Asset Management, said in a note Tuesday.
“It feels like a major crisis is looming in Turkey-Western relations over Finland and Sweden’s NATO bid.”
“Other NATO members will be furious with Turkey given the now clear and present danger to Europe presented by Putin in Ukraine,” Ash added.
“Turkey will be seen as an unreliable partner."
"This will leave even more bad blood/faith between the two sides — gone will be any remnants of a Turkish EU accession bid.”
Turkey’s highly strategic Incirlik airbase is home to 50 of the U.S.’s tactical nuclear weapons, which some U.S. officials have suggested removing due to increasing tensions with Washington and Ankara in recent years.
Those tensions were centered partly on Erdogan’s warming ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and its controversial decision to purchase Russia’s S-400 air defense system, which saw it kicked out of NATO’s F-35 program.
While Turkey has supported Ukraine by sending it weapons, in particular its lethal Bayraktar drones, and has tried to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv, it has so far refused to join its NATO allies in sanctioning Russia.
Just tough talk?
Some analysts are skeptical of Erdogan’s tough talk, convinced he won’t actually block the NATO membership bids — rather, they predict he will simply use his country’s leverage to extract concessions and boost his own waning popularity at home.
“Despite its objections, Ankara will not block the countries’ entry into NATO,” analysts at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group wrote in a research note late Monday.
“Erdogan is likely looking for concessions for green-lighting NATO’s expansion, mainly from Sweden."
"These might include the easing of Stockholm’s bilateral arms embargo on Turkey and some recognition of PKK as a terrorist organization to curtail its fund-raising and recruitment activities,” the note said.
Erdogan’s top foreign policy advisor Ibrahim Kalin over the weekend reassured allies by saying in an interview with Reuters: “We are not closing the door."
"But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security for Turkey,” concerning the NATO accession for Sweden and Finland.
Weapons deals will likely play an important role in whatever negotiations take place.
The Biden administration is currently seeking approval from Congress to finalize a sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, for which Ankara will likely seek assurances.
But a more pressing reason behind Erdogan’s brinksmanship may be the need to boost his weakening popularity domestically, amid an inflation and cost of living crisis.
Opinion polls in Turkey have hit their lowest in years.
Turkish inflation hit an eye-watering 70% in April, due in large part to years of refusal by Erdogan to raise interest rates while burning through currency reserves.
The country of 84 million has been hit hard by the global rise in the cost of energy and basic goods, with fuel and agricultural commodity prices skyrocketing thanks in part to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“There are two things which rally the nation in Turkey,” Ash wrote.
“Opposition to the PKK and perceived Western hypocrisy.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/will-tu ... nland.html
TURKEY
Re: TURKEY
REUTERS
"Turkey's Erdogan says 'Europe reaping what it sowed' on energy crisis"
Reuters
September 6, 2022
ISTANBUL, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Russia is cutting natural gas flows to Europe in retaliation for sanctions, adding that Europe is "reaping what it sowed".
Fears in Europe have increased over a potentially bleak winter after Russia announced it was keeping its main gas pipeline to Germany shut.
Russia indefinitely halted the flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and has cut or shut down supplies on three of its biggest westward gas pipelines since its invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.
Oil supplies have also been redirected eastwards.
"Europe is actually reaping what it sowed," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday, adding that sanctions drove Putin to retaliate using energy supplies.
"Putin is using all his means and weapons, and the most important of these is natural gas."
"Unfortunately - we wouldn't want this but - such a situation is developing in Europe," Erdogan said.
"I think Europe will experience serious problems this winter."
"We do not have such a problem," he added.
NATO-member Turkey has sought to strike a balance between Moscow and Kyiv by criticising Russia's invasion and sending arms to Ukraine, while opposing the Western sanctions and continuing trade, tourism and investment with Russia.
Turkey, which has Black Sea borders with both Russia and Ukraine, has said joining sanctions against Russia would have hurt its already strained economy and argued that it is focused on mediation efforts.
Moscow blames disruption to equipment maintenance caused by Western sanctions for its halt to the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipe.
European countries call that nonsense, accusing Russia of weaponising energy supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Alexandra Hudson
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 022-09-06/
"Turkey's Erdogan says 'Europe reaping what it sowed' on energy crisis"
Reuters
September 6, 2022
ISTANBUL, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Russia is cutting natural gas flows to Europe in retaliation for sanctions, adding that Europe is "reaping what it sowed".
Fears in Europe have increased over a potentially bleak winter after Russia announced it was keeping its main gas pipeline to Germany shut.
Russia indefinitely halted the flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and has cut or shut down supplies on three of its biggest westward gas pipelines since its invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.
Oil supplies have also been redirected eastwards.
"Europe is actually reaping what it sowed," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday, adding that sanctions drove Putin to retaliate using energy supplies.
"Putin is using all his means and weapons, and the most important of these is natural gas."
"Unfortunately - we wouldn't want this but - such a situation is developing in Europe," Erdogan said.
"I think Europe will experience serious problems this winter."
"We do not have such a problem," he added.
NATO-member Turkey has sought to strike a balance between Moscow and Kyiv by criticising Russia's invasion and sending arms to Ukraine, while opposing the Western sanctions and continuing trade, tourism and investment with Russia.
Turkey, which has Black Sea borders with both Russia and Ukraine, has said joining sanctions against Russia would have hurt its already strained economy and argued that it is focused on mediation efforts.
Moscow blames disruption to equipment maintenance caused by Western sanctions for its halt to the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipe.
European countries call that nonsense, accusing Russia of weaponising energy supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Alexandra Hudson
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 022-09-06/
Re: TURKEY
BLOOMBERG
"Turkey Seeks to Be First NATO Member to Join China-Led SCO"
Baris Balci and Selcan Hacaoglu
18 SEPTEMBER 2022
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey is seeking membership to the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempts to forge alliances with friendly countries in the East.
Erdogan made the announcement after attending the SCO summit in Uzbekistan on Friday where he held talks with leaders including China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A successful bid would make Turkey the first member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the bloc.
“Our relationship with these countries will be moved to a much different position with this step,” Erdogan said about the SCO when he spoke with reporters in the city of Samarkand where the summit was held, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
His remarks on Turkey’s potential bid to join the SCO came as Erdogan sought, but could not yet secure, a one-on-one meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington after this week’s meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, according to people familiar with the matter.
The two may still meet during the UN meeting in NY.
“What Ankara is doing is not pursuing alternatives to the West, but establishing balanced relations with all over the world,” Cagri Erhan, a professor of international relations who is also a member of the Turkish president’s security advisory board, said on Twitter.
“It also aims to help the West to see more clearly who its interlocutor is in its relations” with Turkey, he said.
There was no immediate reaction from the US government or NATO on Turkey’s bid for SCO membership.
Turkey has been affiliated with the SCO since 2013, when it signed a partnership agreement.
Full membership of the bloc would give Erdogan renewed leverage against the West and the prospect of stronger economic ties as the government attempts to stabilize a troubled economy ahead of next year’s election.
Apart from Russia and China, the eight-member SCO also includes India, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tu ... bbb01ff413
"Turkey Seeks to Be First NATO Member to Join China-Led SCO"
Baris Balci and Selcan Hacaoglu
18 SEPTEMBER 2022
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey is seeking membership to the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempts to forge alliances with friendly countries in the East.
Erdogan made the announcement after attending the SCO summit in Uzbekistan on Friday where he held talks with leaders including China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A successful bid would make Turkey the first member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the bloc.
“Our relationship with these countries will be moved to a much different position with this step,” Erdogan said about the SCO when he spoke with reporters in the city of Samarkand where the summit was held, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
His remarks on Turkey’s potential bid to join the SCO came as Erdogan sought, but could not yet secure, a one-on-one meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington after this week’s meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, according to people familiar with the matter.
The two may still meet during the UN meeting in NY.
“What Ankara is doing is not pursuing alternatives to the West, but establishing balanced relations with all over the world,” Cagri Erhan, a professor of international relations who is also a member of the Turkish president’s security advisory board, said on Twitter.
“It also aims to help the West to see more clearly who its interlocutor is in its relations” with Turkey, he said.
There was no immediate reaction from the US government or NATO on Turkey’s bid for SCO membership.
Turkey has been affiliated with the SCO since 2013, when it signed a partnership agreement.
Full membership of the bloc would give Erdogan renewed leverage against the West and the prospect of stronger economic ties as the government attempts to stabilize a troubled economy ahead of next year’s election.
Apart from Russia and China, the eight-member SCO also includes India, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tu ... bbb01ff413
Re: TURKEY
BUSINESS INSIDER
"Rising tensions between 2 of NATO's biggest militaries are driving fears of the first war between alliance members"
insider@insider.com (Constantine Atlamazoglou)
2 NOVEMBER 2022
* Greece and Turkey have two of NATO's largest militaries and are in an important corner of Europe.
* They also have longstanding disputes that continue to roil their relationship and affect the alliance.
* Their tensions have escalated in recent years, stoking new fears about the first war within NATO.
Greece and Turkey are two of NATO's oldest members, joining together in 1952, but their relationship and the tensions between them predate the alliance, and membership has done little to ease their disputes.
In recent years, ties between Athens and Ankara have deteriorated to the point that some believe a war could break out between them.
The countries occupy strategically important territory in southeastern Europe, and they field two of NATO's biggest militaries, making the stakes of a potential clash much higher.
Due to persistent tensions with Turkey, Greece has been one of the few NATO members to maintain defense expenditures above the alliance's 2%-of-GDP goal.
Greece's defense spending in 2022 was the highest in the alliance as a share of GDP.
Although much of Greece's defense spending has traditionally gone to personnel costs, significant equipment purchases under its current administration, which took office in July 2019, have also made it one of the alliance's biggest spenders on hardware.
(NATO also calls for 20% of members' defense spending to go toward equipment purchases and upgrades.)
Greece is placing a strong emphasis on its air force and naval fleet in particular.
Since 2020, it has purchased 24 French-made Rafale jets, 4.5-generation multirole fighters that are considered very capable and technologically superior to any Turkish aircraft.
Athens is also upgrading 84 of its F-16s to the latest Viper configuration and has applied to join the F-35 program.
Greece plans to buy seven MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and it has installed a version of Israel's Iron Dome over its eastern Aegean islands.
The system is tailored to counter Turkey's large drone fleet.
On the naval front, Greece has purchased three FDI HN frigates from France with the option for a fourth one.
It is also in the final stages of selecting four more corvettes for its already sizable navy.
Greece maintains the largest tank force among NATO's European members — although a portion are older models — and has one of the biggest artillery forces in the continent.
Turkey, on the other hand, has the second-largest military and the second-largest tank and artillery force in NATO, after the US.
The Turkish air force is comparable to Greece's, but it is falling behind due to Ankara's expulsion from the F-35 program, a US hold on Turkey's request for F-16 upgrades, and the dismissal of hundreds of Turkish pilots following a 2016 coup attempt.
Yet, Turkey's drone industry and the aircraft it produces are among the best in NATO.
Turkish-made TB-2 Bayraktar drones have received significant attention for their role in the war in Ukraine.
Turkey also has one of NATO's biggest navies, with a considerable number of combat ships and a large landing fleet.
Ankara plans to strengthen its fleet with at least four and as many as seven anti-aircraft warfare frigates that will replace older ships.
The Turkish navy is also awaiting delivery of six German-made Type 214 submarines, which could tilt the naval balance in the Aegean, as Greece has four Type 214 subs.
Turkey's defense spending is significantly less than Greece's, in percentage terms, but Turkey benefits from having a larger economy and is planning annual defense spending increases through 2024.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced an extra $26 billion in defense spending for 2023.
This concentration of firepower would make any conflict deadlier, and a local crisis could quickly escalate.
Greek military's chief of staff, Gen. Konstantinos Floros, said in 2020 that "no crisis" would be "geographically isolated," a reversal of Greece's past policy.
Many issues, little sympathy
Greek and Turkey have come very close to war in the recent past.
They clashed during Turkey's 1974 invasion of Cyprus, and a conflict was narrowly averted during the Imia crisis in 1996.
In 2020, Greek and Turkish frigates collided during a standoff in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Both countries have lost jets and pilots in encounters over the eastern Aegean, and each side regularly accuses the other of flying over their territory in the area.
Their disputes include divided Cyprus and the weaponization of migrants, but much of their tension centers on the islands in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas.
Greece, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, argues that its hundreds of Aegean islands give it rights to territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Turkey has not signed UNCLOS and argues that islands do not have the same territorial rights as mainland.
Turkey's parliament has authorized a declaration of war if Greece extends its territorial waters in the Aegean from its current 6 nautical miles up to the 12 miles allowed by UNCLOS.
Turkey also demands that Greece demilitarize its eastern Aegean islands, arguing that Athens has breached treaty limits on what military equipment can be deployed to them.
Athens says the hardware is for defensive purposes.
The island dispute has escalated in recent months.
Erdogan said in September that Greece is "occupying" the islands and that "we will do what's necessary" when the time comes.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said days later that war would never happen but that if Ankara did attack it "would receive an absolutely devastating response."
The rhetoric is widely seen in Turkey as politically motivated: Erdogan and Mitsotakis both face elections next summer.
Observers say NATO is able to manage the tension as it has in the past, but the ill-will between two of the alliance's most important members looks likely to continue.
(The EU and the US support Greece on the islands issue, which Turkey views as favoritism.)
Political dialogue is largely frozen, but the countries' defense ministers met during a NATO summit on October 14 in an attempt to deescalate the situation.
Afterward, Turkey's defense minister said it was "important that the dispute" is "resolved without the interference of third parties."
Greece's defense minister said that "as long as there is a threat of territorial sovereignty, it renders futile any attempt at communication."
Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master's degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. You can contact him on LinkedIn.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ri ... 121930f665
"Rising tensions between 2 of NATO's biggest militaries are driving fears of the first war between alliance members"
insider@insider.com (Constantine Atlamazoglou)
2 NOVEMBER 2022
* Greece and Turkey have two of NATO's largest militaries and are in an important corner of Europe.
* They also have longstanding disputes that continue to roil their relationship and affect the alliance.
* Their tensions have escalated in recent years, stoking new fears about the first war within NATO.
Greece and Turkey are two of NATO's oldest members, joining together in 1952, but their relationship and the tensions between them predate the alliance, and membership has done little to ease their disputes.
In recent years, ties between Athens and Ankara have deteriorated to the point that some believe a war could break out between them.
The countries occupy strategically important territory in southeastern Europe, and they field two of NATO's biggest militaries, making the stakes of a potential clash much higher.
Due to persistent tensions with Turkey, Greece has been one of the few NATO members to maintain defense expenditures above the alliance's 2%-of-GDP goal.
Greece's defense spending in 2022 was the highest in the alliance as a share of GDP.
Although much of Greece's defense spending has traditionally gone to personnel costs, significant equipment purchases under its current administration, which took office in July 2019, have also made it one of the alliance's biggest spenders on hardware.
(NATO also calls for 20% of members' defense spending to go toward equipment purchases and upgrades.)
Greece is placing a strong emphasis on its air force and naval fleet in particular.
Since 2020, it has purchased 24 French-made Rafale jets, 4.5-generation multirole fighters that are considered very capable and technologically superior to any Turkish aircraft.
Athens is also upgrading 84 of its F-16s to the latest Viper configuration and has applied to join the F-35 program.
Greece plans to buy seven MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and it has installed a version of Israel's Iron Dome over its eastern Aegean islands.
The system is tailored to counter Turkey's large drone fleet.
On the naval front, Greece has purchased three FDI HN frigates from France with the option for a fourth one.
It is also in the final stages of selecting four more corvettes for its already sizable navy.
Greece maintains the largest tank force among NATO's European members — although a portion are older models — and has one of the biggest artillery forces in the continent.
Turkey, on the other hand, has the second-largest military and the second-largest tank and artillery force in NATO, after the US.
The Turkish air force is comparable to Greece's, but it is falling behind due to Ankara's expulsion from the F-35 program, a US hold on Turkey's request for F-16 upgrades, and the dismissal of hundreds of Turkish pilots following a 2016 coup attempt.
Yet, Turkey's drone industry and the aircraft it produces are among the best in NATO.
Turkish-made TB-2 Bayraktar drones have received significant attention for their role in the war in Ukraine.
Turkey also has one of NATO's biggest navies, with a considerable number of combat ships and a large landing fleet.
Ankara plans to strengthen its fleet with at least four and as many as seven anti-aircraft warfare frigates that will replace older ships.
The Turkish navy is also awaiting delivery of six German-made Type 214 submarines, which could tilt the naval balance in the Aegean, as Greece has four Type 214 subs.
Turkey's defense spending is significantly less than Greece's, in percentage terms, but Turkey benefits from having a larger economy and is planning annual defense spending increases through 2024.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced an extra $26 billion in defense spending for 2023.
This concentration of firepower would make any conflict deadlier, and a local crisis could quickly escalate.
Greek military's chief of staff, Gen. Konstantinos Floros, said in 2020 that "no crisis" would be "geographically isolated," a reversal of Greece's past policy.
Many issues, little sympathy
Greek and Turkey have come very close to war in the recent past.
They clashed during Turkey's 1974 invasion of Cyprus, and a conflict was narrowly averted during the Imia crisis in 1996.
In 2020, Greek and Turkish frigates collided during a standoff in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Both countries have lost jets and pilots in encounters over the eastern Aegean, and each side regularly accuses the other of flying over their territory in the area.
Their disputes include divided Cyprus and the weaponization of migrants, but much of their tension centers on the islands in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas.
Greece, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, argues that its hundreds of Aegean islands give it rights to territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Turkey has not signed UNCLOS and argues that islands do not have the same territorial rights as mainland.
Turkey's parliament has authorized a declaration of war if Greece extends its territorial waters in the Aegean from its current 6 nautical miles up to the 12 miles allowed by UNCLOS.
Turkey also demands that Greece demilitarize its eastern Aegean islands, arguing that Athens has breached treaty limits on what military equipment can be deployed to them.
Athens says the hardware is for defensive purposes.
The island dispute has escalated in recent months.
Erdogan said in September that Greece is "occupying" the islands and that "we will do what's necessary" when the time comes.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said days later that war would never happen but that if Ankara did attack it "would receive an absolutely devastating response."
The rhetoric is widely seen in Turkey as politically motivated: Erdogan and Mitsotakis both face elections next summer.
Observers say NATO is able to manage the tension as it has in the past, but the ill-will between two of the alliance's most important members looks likely to continue.
(The EU and the US support Greece on the islands issue, which Turkey views as favoritism.)
Political dialogue is largely frozen, but the countries' defense ministers met during a NATO summit on October 14 in an attempt to deescalate the situation.
Afterward, Turkey's defense minister said it was "important that the dispute" is "resolved without the interference of third parties."
Greece's defense minister said that "as long as there is a threat of territorial sovereignty, it renders futile any attempt at communication."
Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master's degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. You can contact him on LinkedIn.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ri ... 121930f665
Re: TURKEY
FOX NEWS
"Pentagon issues warning after Turkish airstrikes threaten American troops in Syria"
Story by Peter Aitken
3 DECEMBER 2022
The Pentagon has urged Turkey to stand down on its plan to invade Syria as the operation could endanger U.S. troops in the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to his counterpart Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar for the loss of life in the Istanbul bombing that occurred last month and prompted military action in Syria.
But Austin stressed that the airstrikes – and the impending ground invasion of Syria – directly threatens the safety of U.S. personnel working in Syria.
"Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department’s strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria," according to a readout of the call between Austin and Akar.
Turkey launched a series of airstrikes in northern Syria following the bombing on Nov. 13 that killed six people and injured at least 80 other people.
Turkish authorities arrested an Arab Syrian woman whom they linked with Kurdish militias, but the militias denied any involvement.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan authorized a military response in Syria, called "Operation Sword-Claw," which aimed to take out the People’s Defense Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK).
A Kurdish general told Fox News last week that NATO ally Turkey is planning to carry out a massive ground invasion of Syria in an effort to target the same Kurdish groups that partnered with the U.S. military in its campaign against ISIS.
U.S. military officials have also raised concerns that the operation could end up providing an opportunity for some 10,000 ISIS detainees to escape confinement.
Brigadier Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Wednesday, "Recent air strikes in Syria directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working in Syria with local partners to defeat ISIS and maintain custody of more than 10,000 ISIS detainees."
Ryder noted that an "Immediate de-escalation is necessary to maintain focus on the defeat-ISIS mission and ensure the safety and security of personnel on the ground committed to the defeat-ISIS mission."
One military official said that Syria presents ideal conditions for ISIS to continue growing its ranks and regaining its former operating capacity: CENTCOM chief Gen. Erik Kurilla visited the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria and said ISIS has looked to exploit the conditions in the camp as a means of gaining new recruits to its cause.
"The SDF mission to clear ISIS from the camp continues: This is a critical, wide-ranging operation which will make the camp safer for all residents," Kurilla said following his visit.
"We’ve already seen ISIS members holding women and girls enslaved in chains inside the camp, torturing camp residents, and seeking to spread their vile ideology."
Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pe ... 2fd1892eb4
"Pentagon issues warning after Turkish airstrikes threaten American troops in Syria"
Story by Peter Aitken
3 DECEMBER 2022
The Pentagon has urged Turkey to stand down on its plan to invade Syria as the operation could endanger U.S. troops in the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to his counterpart Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar for the loss of life in the Istanbul bombing that occurred last month and prompted military action in Syria.
But Austin stressed that the airstrikes – and the impending ground invasion of Syria – directly threatens the safety of U.S. personnel working in Syria.
"Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department’s strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria," according to a readout of the call between Austin and Akar.
Turkey launched a series of airstrikes in northern Syria following the bombing on Nov. 13 that killed six people and injured at least 80 other people.
Turkish authorities arrested an Arab Syrian woman whom they linked with Kurdish militias, but the militias denied any involvement.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan authorized a military response in Syria, called "Operation Sword-Claw," which aimed to take out the People’s Defense Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK).
A Kurdish general told Fox News last week that NATO ally Turkey is planning to carry out a massive ground invasion of Syria in an effort to target the same Kurdish groups that partnered with the U.S. military in its campaign against ISIS.
U.S. military officials have also raised concerns that the operation could end up providing an opportunity for some 10,000 ISIS detainees to escape confinement.
Brigadier Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Wednesday, "Recent air strikes in Syria directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working in Syria with local partners to defeat ISIS and maintain custody of more than 10,000 ISIS detainees."
Ryder noted that an "Immediate de-escalation is necessary to maintain focus on the defeat-ISIS mission and ensure the safety and security of personnel on the ground committed to the defeat-ISIS mission."
One military official said that Syria presents ideal conditions for ISIS to continue growing its ranks and regaining its former operating capacity: CENTCOM chief Gen. Erik Kurilla visited the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria and said ISIS has looked to exploit the conditions in the camp as a means of gaining new recruits to its cause.
"The SDF mission to clear ISIS from the camp continues: This is a critical, wide-ranging operation which will make the camp safer for all residents," Kurilla said following his visit.
"We’ve already seen ISIS members holding women and girls enslaved in chains inside the camp, torturing camp residents, and seeking to spread their vile ideology."
Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pe ... 2fd1892eb4
Re: TURKEY
REUTERS
"Oil tankers queue up off Turkey as price cap on Russian crude kicks in - FT"
Reuters
December 5, 2022
Dec 5 (Reuters) - Oil tankers formed a traffic jam off the coast of Turkey on day one of the West's price cap on Russian crude, with Ankara insisting on new proof of insurance for all vessels, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Around 19 crude oil tankers were waiting to cross Turkish waters on Monday, the report said, citing ship brokers, oil traders and satellite tracking services.
A $60 per barrel price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations, Australia and the 27 European Union states on Russian seaborne crude oil took effect this week, the latest Western measure to punish Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement allows Russian oil to be shipped to third-party countries using tankers from G7 and European Union member states, insurance companies and credit institutions only if the cargo is bought at or below the cap.
Russia said on Monday that a Western price cap on its oil would destabilise global energy markets but would not affect its ability to sustain what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
According to the Financial Times' report, four oil industry executives said Turkey had demanded new proof of full insurance coverage for any vessels navigating its straits in light of the measures.
Turkey’s ministry of transport and infrastructure did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The vessels had dropped anchor near the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the two straits linking Russia’s Black Sea ports to international markets.
The first tanker arrived on Nov. 29 and has been ever waiting since, the report quoted a ship broker who asked not to be named as saying.
Reporting by Bharat Govind Gautam in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and Jan Harvey
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodi ... 022-12-05/
"Oil tankers queue up off Turkey as price cap on Russian crude kicks in - FT"
Reuters
December 5, 2022
Dec 5 (Reuters) - Oil tankers formed a traffic jam off the coast of Turkey on day one of the West's price cap on Russian crude, with Ankara insisting on new proof of insurance for all vessels, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Around 19 crude oil tankers were waiting to cross Turkish waters on Monday, the report said, citing ship brokers, oil traders and satellite tracking services.
A $60 per barrel price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations, Australia and the 27 European Union states on Russian seaborne crude oil took effect this week, the latest Western measure to punish Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement allows Russian oil to be shipped to third-party countries using tankers from G7 and European Union member states, insurance companies and credit institutions only if the cargo is bought at or below the cap.
Russia said on Monday that a Western price cap on its oil would destabilise global energy markets but would not affect its ability to sustain what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
According to the Financial Times' report, four oil industry executives said Turkey had demanded new proof of full insurance coverage for any vessels navigating its straits in light of the measures.
Turkey’s ministry of transport and infrastructure did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The vessels had dropped anchor near the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the two straits linking Russia’s Black Sea ports to international markets.
The first tanker arrived on Nov. 29 and has been ever waiting since, the report quoted a ship broker who asked not to be named as saying.
Reporting by Bharat Govind Gautam in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and Jan Harvey
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodi ... 022-12-05/
Re: TURKEY
RIGZONE
"Millions of Oil Barrels Caught Up in Turkish Traffic Jam"
by Bloomberg | Julian Lee, Alex Longley
Tuesday, December 06, 2022
Oil tankers hauling millions of barrels of Kazakh crude are being prevented from leaving the Black Sea to reach global markets following a move by Turkey to insist on proof they’re properly insured.
The government in Ankara is insisting the ships have a letter from their insurer guaranteeing cover while in Turkish waters -- something that’s yet to happen.
The move follows European Union and UK sanctions that only allow insurance of vessels carrying Russian crude if the oil on board is bought at or below $60 a barrel.
The result is that at least 20 carriers holding 18 million barrels of crude oil have been waiting for several days to pass through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles shipping straits.
All bar one have cargoes from Kazakhstan on board and a local port agent report said the vessels are waiting for clarification of their insurance status.
As of Monday, providers of cover against risks including spills and collisions, said the letters that Turkey is demanding could not and should not be published for the time being.
The US and UK governments were pressing Turkish officials to reconsider their approach and the insurers may yet cede to the request.
A G-7 cap on Russian oil prices, set out last week, only allows European firms to insure tankers transporting Russian crude if the cargoes were bought at or below $60 a barrel.
Without that proof, the conventional way of checking -- on insurers’ websites -- is no longer enough for Turkish authorities.
The waiting tankers are sailing all over the world -- from South Korea and India in the east, to Panama in the west.
But most are destined for Europe, which has banned seaborne purchases of almost all Russian crude, but allows imports of the Kazakh grade shipped from a terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Nineteen of the waiting tankers are carrying cargoes of Kazakhstan’s CPC crude.
The other holds about 1 million barrels of Russian Urals destined for India, port agent reports and vessel tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show.
In practice, Kazakh oil shouldn’t be subject to sanctions, but the fact the ships left from a Russian port may be contributing to the anxiety in Ankara about confirming their insurance status.
Equally, insurers might balk at the precedent of writing letters for cargoes that aren’t subject to sanctions.
The only Russian crude tanker awaiting passage has been anchored in the Sea of Marmara near the northern entrance to the Dardanelles since Wednesday.
Shipments of Urals and Siberian Light crudes from the port of Novorossiysk have been running at low levels anyway, with just three cargoes loaded in the week to Dec. 2.
That makes it difficult to determine whether Russian flows will also be disrupted by Turkey’s stance, or just Kazakhstan’s.
Buyers of Kazakhstan’s crude have faced a series of obstacles since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February.
Storm damage, the discovery of an unexploded World War 2 sea mine, the threat of a court-imposed 90-day port closure and leaks in buoyancy tanks at two the three loading buoys have plagued the export terminal since March.
--With assistance from Sherry Su.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/milli ... 9-article/
"Millions of Oil Barrels Caught Up in Turkish Traffic Jam"
by Bloomberg | Julian Lee, Alex Longley
Tuesday, December 06, 2022
Oil tankers hauling millions of barrels of Kazakh crude are being prevented from leaving the Black Sea to reach global markets following a move by Turkey to insist on proof they’re properly insured.
The government in Ankara is insisting the ships have a letter from their insurer guaranteeing cover while in Turkish waters -- something that’s yet to happen.
The move follows European Union and UK sanctions that only allow insurance of vessels carrying Russian crude if the oil on board is bought at or below $60 a barrel.
The result is that at least 20 carriers holding 18 million barrels of crude oil have been waiting for several days to pass through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles shipping straits.
All bar one have cargoes from Kazakhstan on board and a local port agent report said the vessels are waiting for clarification of their insurance status.
As of Monday, providers of cover against risks including spills and collisions, said the letters that Turkey is demanding could not and should not be published for the time being.
The US and UK governments were pressing Turkish officials to reconsider their approach and the insurers may yet cede to the request.
A G-7 cap on Russian oil prices, set out last week, only allows European firms to insure tankers transporting Russian crude if the cargoes were bought at or below $60 a barrel.
Without that proof, the conventional way of checking -- on insurers’ websites -- is no longer enough for Turkish authorities.
The waiting tankers are sailing all over the world -- from South Korea and India in the east, to Panama in the west.
But most are destined for Europe, which has banned seaborne purchases of almost all Russian crude, but allows imports of the Kazakh grade shipped from a terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Nineteen of the waiting tankers are carrying cargoes of Kazakhstan’s CPC crude.
The other holds about 1 million barrels of Russian Urals destined for India, port agent reports and vessel tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show.
In practice, Kazakh oil shouldn’t be subject to sanctions, but the fact the ships left from a Russian port may be contributing to the anxiety in Ankara about confirming their insurance status.
Equally, insurers might balk at the precedent of writing letters for cargoes that aren’t subject to sanctions.
The only Russian crude tanker awaiting passage has been anchored in the Sea of Marmara near the northern entrance to the Dardanelles since Wednesday.
Shipments of Urals and Siberian Light crudes from the port of Novorossiysk have been running at low levels anyway, with just three cargoes loaded in the week to Dec. 2.
That makes it difficult to determine whether Russian flows will also be disrupted by Turkey’s stance, or just Kazakhstan’s.
Buyers of Kazakhstan’s crude have faced a series of obstacles since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February.
Storm damage, the discovery of an unexploded World War 2 sea mine, the threat of a court-imposed 90-day port closure and leaks in buoyancy tanks at two the three loading buoys have plagued the export terminal since March.
--With assistance from Sherry Su.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/milli ... 9-article/
Re: TURKEY
REUTERS
"Western officials in talks with Turkey over oil tanker delays - UK"
By Noah Browning and Alistair Smout
December 7, 2022
LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports.
"The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters.
"There is no reason for ships to be denied access to the Bosporus Straits for environmental or health and safety concerns."
The G7 group of countries, the European Union and Australia have agreed to bar shipping service providers like insurers from helping export Russian oil unless it is sold at an enforced low price, or cap, in a bid to deprive Moscow of wartime revenue.
But a separate Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused a logjam, requiring vessels to provide proof they have insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports.
At least 20 oil tankers continue to face delays to cross from Russia's Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean as operators race to adhere to the Turkish rules.
U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal in a call on Wednesday that the price cap only applies to Russian oil and does not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
Russia is concerned about the tanker buildup and is discussing the issue with insurance and transport companies, RIA cited Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Wednesday.
"If the problem is not solved, of course, there will be involvement on the political level," Grushko added.
The British ship insurer UK P&I (protection and indemnity) Club said the new Turkish requirement for an insurance letter could force them to contravene sanctions if it emerged that the oil cargoes were sold outside the price cap.
"The (insurers) have agreed that they cannot and should not issue such a letter," UK P&I said in a statement on its website.
"Issuing a confirmatory letter under these circumstances would expose the Club to a breach of sanctions under EU, UK and U.S. law," it added, referring to a situation in which insured cargoes fell foul of the new measures.
An official with the coalition of G7 countries and Australia said the delays were not a result of the price cap and that many of the affected cargoes contained Kazakh oil, which has been specifically exempted from their measure.
Reporting By Jonathan Saul, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alistair Smout and Noah Browning; editing by David Evans, Kirsten Donovan, Crispian Balmer and David Gregorio
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 022-12-07/
"Western officials in talks with Turkey over oil tanker delays - UK"
By Noah Browning and Alistair Smout
December 7, 2022
LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports.
"The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters.
"There is no reason for ships to be denied access to the Bosporus Straits for environmental or health and safety concerns."
The G7 group of countries, the European Union and Australia have agreed to bar shipping service providers like insurers from helping export Russian oil unless it is sold at an enforced low price, or cap, in a bid to deprive Moscow of wartime revenue.
But a separate Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused a logjam, requiring vessels to provide proof they have insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports.
At least 20 oil tankers continue to face delays to cross from Russia's Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean as operators race to adhere to the Turkish rules.
U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal in a call on Wednesday that the price cap only applies to Russian oil and does not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
Russia is concerned about the tanker buildup and is discussing the issue with insurance and transport companies, RIA cited Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Wednesday.
"If the problem is not solved, of course, there will be involvement on the political level," Grushko added.
The British ship insurer UK P&I (protection and indemnity) Club said the new Turkish requirement for an insurance letter could force them to contravene sanctions if it emerged that the oil cargoes were sold outside the price cap.
"The (insurers) have agreed that they cannot and should not issue such a letter," UK P&I said in a statement on its website.
"Issuing a confirmatory letter under these circumstances would expose the Club to a breach of sanctions under EU, UK and U.S. law," it added, referring to a situation in which insured cargoes fell foul of the new measures.
An official with the coalition of G7 countries and Australia said the delays were not a result of the price cap and that many of the affected cargoes contained Kazakh oil, which has been specifically exempted from their measure.
Reporting By Jonathan Saul, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alistair Smout and Noah Browning; editing by David Evans, Kirsten Donovan, Crispian Balmer and David Gregorio
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 022-12-07/
Re: TURKEY
REUTERS
"Turkey oil tanker logjam snarls Russia oil sanctions"
By Daren Butler and Can Sezer
December 9, 2022
Summary
* Backlog unsettling oil and tanker markets
* Turkey says out of question to take insurance risk
* Yellen says oil from Kazakhstan should not be targeted
*Ankara says most of waiting ships are EU vessels
ISTANBUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Turkey emerged as a critical stumbling block to a complex international plan to deprive Russia of wartime oil revenues as the number of tankers waiting to exit the Black Sea through Turkish straits continued to rise on Friday.
Ankara has declined to scrap a new insurance inspection rule it implemented at the beginning of the month despite days of pressure from Western officials.
A total of 28 oil tankers are in a queue seeking to leave the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, the Tribeca shipping agency said on Friday.
G7 wealthy countries, the European Union and Australia agreed to bar providers of shipping services, such as insurers, from helping export Russian oil unless it is sold at an enforced low price, or cap, aimed at depriving Moscow of wartime revenue.
Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked appropriate insurance letters.
Western insurers said they could not provide the documents required by Turkey as it might expose them to sanctions if it emerged that the oil cargoes they covered were sold at prices that exceeded the cap.
The Turkish authority said that in the event of an accident involving a vessel in breach of sanctions it was possible the damage would not be covered by an international oil-spill fund.
"(It) is out of the question for us to take the risk that the insurance company will not meet its indemnification responsibility," it said, adding that Turkey was continuing talks with other countries and insurance companies.
It added the vast majority of vessels waiting near the straits were EU vessels, with a large part of the oil destined for EU ports - a factor frustrating Ankara's Western allies.
The Turkish authority said Turkey had plans for removing eight tankers that did not have P&I insurance waiting in the Marmara sea to cross the Dardanelles from its waters.
These tankers would be escorted to cross the Dardanelles under additional measures after the strait is closed to maritime traffic, the statement said.
A shipping source said four of the tankers waiting to cross the Dardanelles were scheduled to go on Saturday with tug escorts.
One Turkish-flagged tanker got a P&I insurance letter from an international P&I group member insurance company after Turkey first asked for insurance letters from oil tankers, and that tanker crossed the Bosphorus on Friday, the statement said.
The ship backlog is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets.
Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.
KAZAKH OIL
Most of the tankers waiting at the Bosphorus are carrying Kazakh oil and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday the U.S. administration saw no reason that such shipments should be subjected to Turkey's new procedures.
Washington had no reason to believe Russia was involved in Turkey's decision to block ship transits, she added.
The European Commission said on Friday the delays were unrelated to the price cap and Turkey could continue to verify insurance policies in "exactly the same way as before".
"We are therefore in contact with the Turkish authorities to seek clarifications and are working to unblock the situation," a spokesperson told Reuters.
Turkey has balanced its good relations with both Russia and Ukraine since Moscow invaded its neighbour in February.
It played a key role in a United Nations-backed deal reached in July to free up grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
Relations between NATO allies Ankara and Washington have at times been rocky, however, as Turkey last month renewed calls for the United States to stop backing Syrian Kurdish forces.
The Biden administration levied sanctions on Thursday on a prominent Turkish businessman Sitki Ayan and his network of firms, accusing him of acting as a facilitator for oil sales and money laundering on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Reporting by Daren Butler, Can Sezer, and Jonathan Saul in London; Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara, Writing by Noah Browning Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie
https://www.reuters.com/world/oil-tanke ... 022-12-09/
"Turkey oil tanker logjam snarls Russia oil sanctions"
By Daren Butler and Can Sezer
December 9, 2022
Summary
* Backlog unsettling oil and tanker markets
* Turkey says out of question to take insurance risk
* Yellen says oil from Kazakhstan should not be targeted
*Ankara says most of waiting ships are EU vessels
ISTANBUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Turkey emerged as a critical stumbling block to a complex international plan to deprive Russia of wartime oil revenues as the number of tankers waiting to exit the Black Sea through Turkish straits continued to rise on Friday.
Ankara has declined to scrap a new insurance inspection rule it implemented at the beginning of the month despite days of pressure from Western officials.
A total of 28 oil tankers are in a queue seeking to leave the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, the Tribeca shipping agency said on Friday.
G7 wealthy countries, the European Union and Australia agreed to bar providers of shipping services, such as insurers, from helping export Russian oil unless it is sold at an enforced low price, or cap, aimed at depriving Moscow of wartime revenue.
Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked appropriate insurance letters.
Western insurers said they could not provide the documents required by Turkey as it might expose them to sanctions if it emerged that the oil cargoes they covered were sold at prices that exceeded the cap.
The Turkish authority said that in the event of an accident involving a vessel in breach of sanctions it was possible the damage would not be covered by an international oil-spill fund.
"(It) is out of the question for us to take the risk that the insurance company will not meet its indemnification responsibility," it said, adding that Turkey was continuing talks with other countries and insurance companies.
It added the vast majority of vessels waiting near the straits were EU vessels, with a large part of the oil destined for EU ports - a factor frustrating Ankara's Western allies.
The Turkish authority said Turkey had plans for removing eight tankers that did not have P&I insurance waiting in the Marmara sea to cross the Dardanelles from its waters.
These tankers would be escorted to cross the Dardanelles under additional measures after the strait is closed to maritime traffic, the statement said.
A shipping source said four of the tankers waiting to cross the Dardanelles were scheduled to go on Saturday with tug escorts.
One Turkish-flagged tanker got a P&I insurance letter from an international P&I group member insurance company after Turkey first asked for insurance letters from oil tankers, and that tanker crossed the Bosphorus on Friday, the statement said.
The ship backlog is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets.
Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.
KAZAKH OIL
Most of the tankers waiting at the Bosphorus are carrying Kazakh oil and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday the U.S. administration saw no reason that such shipments should be subjected to Turkey's new procedures.
Washington had no reason to believe Russia was involved in Turkey's decision to block ship transits, she added.
The European Commission said on Friday the delays were unrelated to the price cap and Turkey could continue to verify insurance policies in "exactly the same way as before".
"We are therefore in contact with the Turkish authorities to seek clarifications and are working to unblock the situation," a spokesperson told Reuters.
Turkey has balanced its good relations with both Russia and Ukraine since Moscow invaded its neighbour in February.
It played a key role in a United Nations-backed deal reached in July to free up grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
Relations between NATO allies Ankara and Washington have at times been rocky, however, as Turkey last month renewed calls for the United States to stop backing Syrian Kurdish forces.
The Biden administration levied sanctions on Thursday on a prominent Turkish businessman Sitki Ayan and his network of firms, accusing him of acting as a facilitator for oil sales and money laundering on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Reporting by Daren Butler, Can Sezer, and Jonathan Saul in London; Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara, Writing by Noah Browning Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie
https://www.reuters.com/world/oil-tanke ... 022-12-09/
Re: TURKEY
CNBC
"Turkey is stopping oil not under Russian sanctions, raising global energy market supply concerns"
Story by Lori Ann LaRocco
8 DECEMBER 2022
All but one of the roughly 20 loaded crude tankers recently waiting to cross through Turkey's Bosphorus Strait were carrying Kazakh-origin oil, which is not under a Russian oil price cap policy.
Tanker congestion is estimated to be holding up over 20 million barrels of oil equaling $1.2 billion.
On Wednesday, Treasury Deputy Secretary Adeyemo spoke with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal to discuss the implementation of the price cap and stress that it did not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters.
Tankers full of Kazakh oil are tangled in delays traveling through the Bosphorus Strait as a result of Turkey's new proof of insurance measures for vessels carrying Russian oil now subject to EU sanctions and a G7 nation price cap.
Kazakh oil goes by pipeline through Russia and is loaded onto tankers at the port of Novorossiysk.
Officials can track the origin of the oil on the bill of lading.
"It appears that all but one of the roughly twenty loaded crude tankers waiting to cross the straits are carrying Kazakh-origin oil," a price cap official told CNBC.
"These cargoes would not be subject to the price cap under any scenario, and there should be no change in the status of their insurance from Kazakh shipments in previous weeks or months," said the official, who was granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the geopolitical issues.
Based on the number of vessels, over 20 million barrels of oil equaling $1.2 billion is stuck.
New Turkish insurance rules on oil tankers carrying Russian crude have slowed down the movement of tankers off the coast of Turkey and between Russia's Black Sea ports and the Mediterranean since earlier this week when the price cap and sanctions first went into effect.
If delays mount, refiners will seek alternative supplies from other countries or they will reduce operating capacity because they don't have enough oil, which impacts the supply of gasoline and diesel, said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
"If this continues for another week we will begin to see an impact on the oil market," Lipow said.
Buyers of Kazah oil include Asia, Europe, and some quantities on the U.S. East Coast.
Tanker wait times increasing
VesselsValue tells CNBC that the average wait for tankers at the Bosphorus has increased compared to last week by roughly 47%, when there were 14 vessels with an average wait duration of 64 hours and a combined tonnage capacity of 1.46 million tons.
Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that wait times are typical.
"The waiting time in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles is six days for now."
"For the winter season, this is a normal wait; last year, the wait in the straits in December was about 14 days."
MarineTraffic is monitoring the number of tankers waiting through the Bosphorus.
The company, which uses AIS tracking of vessels, says the number of tankers waiting is now up to 40 and has more than doubled in recent days.
"We can see a growing list of crude and chemical tankers waiting to cross the Bosphorous from either side, with a variety of reported AIS destinations, including mainly Turkey and Russia, but also Ukraine, Georgia, Italy," said Nikos Pothitakis, spokesperson for MarineTraffic.
"The vessels in question are mainly flagged by the Russia, Greece, Liberia and Marshall Islands registries."
On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo spoke with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal to discuss the implementation of the price cap on Russian seaborne oil.
Adeyemo stressed the price cap regime only applies to oil of Russian origin and does not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters, according to a statement from Treasury.
Both officials said a simple compliance regime by Turkey to permit seaborne oil to transit the Turkish straits would help keep the global energy markets well-supplied.
"The price cap policy does not require ships to seek unique insurance guarantees for each individual voyage, as required under Turkey's rule," said the price cap official to CNBC.
"These disruptions are the result of Turkey's rule, not the price cap policy."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... 612d36cb73
"Turkey is stopping oil not under Russian sanctions, raising global energy market supply concerns"
Story by Lori Ann LaRocco
8 DECEMBER 2022
All but one of the roughly 20 loaded crude tankers recently waiting to cross through Turkey's Bosphorus Strait were carrying Kazakh-origin oil, which is not under a Russian oil price cap policy.
Tanker congestion is estimated to be holding up over 20 million barrels of oil equaling $1.2 billion.
On Wednesday, Treasury Deputy Secretary Adeyemo spoke with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal to discuss the implementation of the price cap and stress that it did not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters.
Tankers full of Kazakh oil are tangled in delays traveling through the Bosphorus Strait as a result of Turkey's new proof of insurance measures for vessels carrying Russian oil now subject to EU sanctions and a G7 nation price cap.
Kazakh oil goes by pipeline through Russia and is loaded onto tankers at the port of Novorossiysk.
Officials can track the origin of the oil on the bill of lading.
"It appears that all but one of the roughly twenty loaded crude tankers waiting to cross the straits are carrying Kazakh-origin oil," a price cap official told CNBC.
"These cargoes would not be subject to the price cap under any scenario, and there should be no change in the status of their insurance from Kazakh shipments in previous weeks or months," said the official, who was granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the geopolitical issues.
Based on the number of vessels, over 20 million barrels of oil equaling $1.2 billion is stuck.
New Turkish insurance rules on oil tankers carrying Russian crude have slowed down the movement of tankers off the coast of Turkey and between Russia's Black Sea ports and the Mediterranean since earlier this week when the price cap and sanctions first went into effect.
If delays mount, refiners will seek alternative supplies from other countries or they will reduce operating capacity because they don't have enough oil, which impacts the supply of gasoline and diesel, said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
"If this continues for another week we will begin to see an impact on the oil market," Lipow said.
Buyers of Kazah oil include Asia, Europe, and some quantities on the U.S. East Coast.
Tanker wait times increasing
VesselsValue tells CNBC that the average wait for tankers at the Bosphorus has increased compared to last week by roughly 47%, when there were 14 vessels with an average wait duration of 64 hours and a combined tonnage capacity of 1.46 million tons.
Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that wait times are typical.
"The waiting time in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles is six days for now."
"For the winter season, this is a normal wait; last year, the wait in the straits in December was about 14 days."
MarineTraffic is monitoring the number of tankers waiting through the Bosphorus.
The company, which uses AIS tracking of vessels, says the number of tankers waiting is now up to 40 and has more than doubled in recent days.
"We can see a growing list of crude and chemical tankers waiting to cross the Bosphorous from either side, with a variety of reported AIS destinations, including mainly Turkey and Russia, but also Ukraine, Georgia, Italy," said Nikos Pothitakis, spokesperson for MarineTraffic.
"The vessels in question are mainly flagged by the Russia, Greece, Liberia and Marshall Islands registries."
On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo spoke with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal to discuss the implementation of the price cap on Russian seaborne oil.
Adeyemo stressed the price cap regime only applies to oil of Russian origin and does not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters, according to a statement from Treasury.
Both officials said a simple compliance regime by Turkey to permit seaborne oil to transit the Turkish straits would help keep the global energy markets well-supplied.
"The price cap policy does not require ships to seek unique insurance guarantees for each individual voyage, as required under Turkey's rule," said the price cap official to CNBC.
"These disruptions are the result of Turkey's rule, not the price cap policy."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... 612d36cb73