Ankara Is Cutting Back on russian Imports at a Record Pace

According to data from the Ministry of Trade of Türkiye, imports of russian goods fell by $3.5 billion in January–April 2026 – a 22.8% year-on-year decline and the sharpest drop in monetary terms among all of Ankara’s trading partners.

By comparison: imports from the UAE fell by $835 million, from Bolivia – by $429 million, and from Italy and France – by even less. Meanwhile, China increased its exports to Türkiye by $1.8 billion, and to the USA – by $1.1 billion.

The reason for the decline is neither a diplomatic move nor market conditions. It is secondary sanctions: American and European pressure on Turkish banks, logistics companies, and intermediaries that facilitated trade with russia. The risk of falling under restrictions proved to be greater than the profit from working with russian counterparties.

After 2022, Türkiye became one of the kremlin’s main logistics and financial hubs. Energy carriers, raw materials, and some dual-use goods passed through it via re-export schemes. But as early as 2023, this structure began to crack: imports from russia fell from $46 billion in 2023 to $44 billion in 2024 and $42.4 billion in 2025. Current trends for the first four months of 2026 indicate that the decline is accelerating.

russia remains one of Türkiye’s top three suppliers. Trade is deeply asymmetrical: moscow sells $42.4 billion worth of goods to Ankara annually, while purchasing only $6.7 billion worth from it. About 70% of russian exports consist of energy carriers, with the remainder comprising grains, metals, coal, and fertilizers. In other words, russia depends on Türkiye as a market far more than Türkiye depends on russia as a buyer.

That is precisely why the decline in Turkish imports hits the kremlin harder than it might seem. It means a reduction in foreign exchange earnings, the deterioration of energy routes, and, most importantly, a change in the behavior of partners. Turkish banks and companies are no longer waiting for sanctions to catch up with them – they are proactively winding down their operations with russians.

The decline in Turkish imports is a sign that the intermediary model of circumventing sanctions through third countries is falling apart.