The arrival of two superyachts belonging to the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in Turkey this week comes amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to Russian billionaires with links to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and is raising concerns in the West that Turkey could become a haven for Russian oligarchs looking to avoid sanctions. So far, Turkey has not joined in on sanctions against Russia, opting to carve out a middle road that enables it to maintain ties with both Russia and Ukraine in an effort to play a mediating role. Amberin Zaman joins our host Thanos Davelis to explore whether Turkey might become a haven for sanctioned Russians, discuss Turkey’s broader role in illicit financing, and look at how this could impact Turkey’s relations with the West.

Amberin Zaman is a staff correspondent for Al-Monitor covering the Middle East, with a particular focus on Syria, Iraq, and Turkey.

Read Amberin Zaman’s latest piece for Al-Monitor here: Will Turkey become haven for sanctioned Russians?

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

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