ANKARA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Concerns over the U.S. Treasury's warning about Turkish companies facing sanctions risk if they deal with sanctioned Russians was "meaningless," said Türkiye's finance and treasury minister on Friday.
Nureddin Nebati tweeted that "it is meaningless that the letter sent to Turkish business organizations causes concern in our business circles."
Turkish Industry and Business Association, the country's largest business group, announced on Tuesday that they received a letter from U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, warning of a possible risk of sanctions if Turkish companies do business with Russian entities and individuals that were under U.S.-led sanctions.
Nebati noted that Türkiye attached importance to making joint efforts with its allies and strengthening cooperation against global and regional challenges, stressing all actors in the Turkish economy are committed to the principles of a free market economy.
"We are determined to develop our commercial and economic relations with our neighbors in various sectors, especially in tourism, within a framework that is not subject to sanctions," he said.
Nebati also welcomed U.S. businesses to invest in Türkiye.
The U.S. Treasury said Adeyemo and Turkish Deputy Finance Minister Yunus Elitas last week had a phone conversation, during which they talked about "ongoing efforts to implement and enforce the broad multilateral sanctions imposed on Russia."
Adeyemo raised "concerns that Russian entities and individuals are attempting to use Türkiye to evade sanctions put in place by the U.S. and 30 countries," it said in a statement.
Elitas told the U.S. official that Ankara's stance on the sanctions has not changed and that Türkiye won't join unilateral sanctions, but he also assured that the Turkish government would not allow any person or institution to violate sanctions on Russia, the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance said in the readout of the conversation.
Türkiye and Russia have boosted bilateral economic, trade, and energy relations following the Ukrainian crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin recently agreed to improve bilateral trade by exchanging more in national currencies.
