NATO member stuns allies after 3 years of backing Putin amid Ukraine war?| Russia oil, Turkey, Erdogan

Turkey has sharply reduced its imports of Russian oil, signaling a major policy shift amid tightening Western sanctions on Moscow. According to Reuters, Turkey’s largest refiners, STAR and Tupras, have begun sourcing crude from non-Russian producers such as Iraq, Kazakhstan, Brazil, and Angola. STAR refinery’s Russian crude intake, which averaged around 210,000 barrels per day in September and October, is now being replaced by an estimated 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day of alternative supplies. Tupras is reportedly moving toward a full phase-out of Russian oil at one of its plants to preserve fuel exports to Europe without violating EU sanctions. The change follows new U.S. and EU measures targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, key pillars of Russia’s economy, which together account for nearly half of Russia’s crude exports. Ankara’s move marks its most significant divergence from Moscow since the Ukraine war began.