ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkey said Tuesday it has cleared
up a dispute linked to a Western price cap on Russian crude that had stalled
the passage of tankers through the
Bosphorus and Dardanelle straits.
اضافة اعلان
A queue of around 20 oil ships had been waiting to sail
through the straits for much of the past week in a spat over Turkey's demand
for physical proof of insurance.
The EU and the G7 leading industrialized nations agreed earlier
this month to block Western firms from servicing ships that sell Russian oil
for more than $60 a barrel.
The decision was part of a US-led drive to punish Russia for
its war on Ukraine by stripping away its main source of income while avoiding
major disruptions to the global crude market.
The plan hit a snag when Turkey voiced alarm over the
possibility of uninsured ships passing through the Bosphorus — a strait running
through the heart of the 16-million-strong city of Istanbul.
Turkish coast guards began to demand letters proving ships
had so-called "protection and indemnity" insurance against spills and
other accidents.
Western insurance companies balked at the demand because it
made them liable for the possible breach of the new sanctions.
European diplomats have been meeting with insurers and
Turkish officials in a bid to agree on a compromise text that could suit all
parties.
Turkey's transport ministry said tankers have now started to
produce a "confirmation letter" that guaranteed their passage from
Russian ports to world markets.
"There are no tankers loaded with crude waiting for
passage," the ministry said in a statement.
The bottleneck in the
Turkish straits had made little impact
on the global oil market because most Western countries no longer purchase
Russian crude.
An analysis by Bloomberg showed that Bulgaria was the only
European country to have imported Russian oil this month.
It showed most of the Russian tankers now headed for Asian
markets through the
Suez Canal.
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