ISTANBUL, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish refiner Tupras has halted Russian crude oil purchases following U.S. sanctions imposed on Jan. 10 against Russian energy firms and oil tankers, local media reported on Wednesday.
Tupras, Trkiye's largest oil company, disclosed the decision during its financial results meeting, according to Turkish newspaper Sozcu.
"We have stopped importing Urals crude oil," Sozcu quoted Tupras Investor Relations Director Levent Bayar as saying, with final shipments expected by month-end.
Whether Tupras will also suspend refined product imports from Russia remains uncertain, the newspaper said.
The company became a major buyer of Russian oil following the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict in 2022, with Russian supplies accounting for 65 percent of Trkiye's total oil imports from January to November 2024, according to Sozcu.
Tupras operates four refineries across Trkiye with a combined annual crude processing capacity of 30 million tonnes.
The U.S. sanctions targeted more than 200 entities and individuals connected to Russia's energy sector and designated over 180 vessels as blocked property.
