Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has committed to enhancing trade relations between Türkiye and Russia following a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

In a statement issued after their discussion, Erdogan’s office indicated that the two leaders addressed “bilateral relations between Türkiye and Russia, as well as various regional and global matters.” Erdogan expressed his intention to “advance cooperation between Türkiye and Russia across multiple sectors, particularly by increasing the trade volume” between the nations.

The Kremlin also released a statement confirming that Erdogan and Putin discussed “a range of international issues,” highlighting the importance of boosting trade and economic collaboration.

Despite Türkiye’s membership in the US-led NATO alliance and its aspirations to join the EU, Erdogan has maintained a neutral stance regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Türkiye facilitated peace negotiations in 2022 and played a key role in the now-defunct Black Sea Grain Initiative, while also resisting US calls for economic sanctions against Moscow.

According to World Bank data, Türkiye ranks as the third-largest importer of Russian crude oil, with Russia being its most significant trading partner.

However, reports indicate that Ankara has acquiesced to some of Washington’s requests, such as restricting the export of certain ‘dual-use’ items to Russia in recent months, as noted by the Financial Times. Over several rounds of sanctions, the US has blacklisted approximately 20 Turkish companies since last year for allegedly supplying such items to Russian entities linked to the defense sector.

The term ‘dual-use’ refers to items that can serve both civilian and military purposes.

At the same time, Türkiye continues to supply weapons systems to Ukraine, including drones and small arms. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet that these weapons “are utilized by the Ukrainian armed forces to kill Russians.”

This scenario is indeed surprising, especially considering the Turkish government’s claims of its willingness to mediate, Lavrov remarked.

Since the onset of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Erdogan and Putin have held multiple meetings. Their most recent discussion took place during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October. In September, Ankara announced its formal application to join BRICS, marking it as the first NATO member to seek full membership.

Lavrov informed Hurriyet that Russia would endorse Türkiye’s application and supports the enhancement of relations between the BRICS group and nations that prioritize strengthening multilateral principles, pursue an independent foreign policy, and refrain from participating in unilateral sanctions.