© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska attends a session of the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 3, 2021. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
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ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A yacht with links to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Gocek on Saturday, as many Russian billionaires traveled to Turkey to visit Turkey. evading Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Deripaska, the founder of Russian aluminum giant Rusal, has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and Britain. He had previously called for peace.
A Reuters witness saw the 73-meter (239.5-foot) yacht Clio arrive off the coast of Gocek in the Aegean coastal province of Mugla on Saturday. The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel remained in a bay off Gocek.
The Clio’s arrival in Turkish waters comes after two superyachts were linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul this month , docked in Turkey.
Governments around the world are seeking to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a “special military operation”.
NATO member Turkey shares maritime borders with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good relations with both, and mediates in the conflict. It supported Kyiv, but also opposed sanctions on Moscow, including those against Russian billionaires.
Ankara relies heavily on Russian energy imports and tourists and has emerged as a safe haven for Russians evading sanctions, many of whom have invested in Turkish real estate. Turkey.
On Friday, a Ukrainian diplomat said Ukraine was working with Turkey to get more support and understand – although they were not satisfied – about the reality of Ankara’s parallel relationship with Moscow.
