Turkey, a legendary health resort beloved by the Russians, will not support Western sanctions against Russia. Umit Yardyn, the Turkish ambassador in Moscow, has made it clear that his country does not consider these measures to be effective. "Sanctions are not a tool to be used in international politics. The position of Turkey is to follow the decisions taken by the United Nations. I do not see the Russian-Turkish relations in the context of the conditions and sanctions. Our relationship has its own specifics, we will continue the relationship in the same vein," Umit Yardyn said at a press conference in Moscow. Indeed, Russia and Turkey have very close links. Turkey is one of the most popular travel destinations for the Russians. An annual tourist flow is a significant source of income. In addition, trade relations hamper to support Western sanctions. A few weeks ago, the Russian gas giant Gazprom signed an agreement about gas delivery expansion. Considering successor arrangements, the Blue Stream pipeline's transportation volume will increase to 19 billion cubic meters per year, compared to the previous figure of 16 billion cubic meters. It is worth noting that the parties plan to increase the supply in the future, so this volume of 19 billion cubic meters is not the limit. Thus, industry experts confidently conclude that Ankara will take all possible precautionary measures and try to reduce the rate of dependency on gas supplies going through Ukraine, preferring to arrange intercourse with Gazprom directly. Germany uses a similar strategy and receives 55 billion cubic meters with the help of the gas pipeline Nord Stream going through the bottom of the Baltic Sea and bypassing Poland and the Baltic countries.
