Turkey, US Officials Discuss Iran Sanctions

TEHRAN (Defapress) –US Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea, who met with Turkish treasury and Foreign Ministry officials, said his talks in Ankara were very “positive” and there was “no hostility” on either side, Daily Star reported on Saturday.

He also met with a series of Turkish companies.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the sanctions and authorities were working to ensure Turkey is not “negatively impacted by the upcoming sanctions.”

US President Donald Trump announced in May that he would pull the United States out of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers. His administration threatened countries with sanctions if they don’t cut off Iranian oil imports by early November.

Turkey, which imports a more than half of its oil supplies from neighboring Iran, had earlier suggested it did not intend to cut off trade with Iran, saying it was not obliged to abide by “unilateral” US decisions.

US Treasury officials have reportedly said in Washington that the US may consider providing waivers from the sanctions to some countries which require time to cut oil imports from Iran.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Ankara, Billingslea would not say, however, if Turkey would be granted exemptions.

“At this point, I’m not in a position to suggest that we are issuing waivers or exemptions,” he said.

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