Turkish officials openly brag about a surge in trade with Russia, disappointing Turkey's NATO allies in the US and Europe. It is reported by Bloomberg.

“Sanctions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the world to redirect oil sales and provoked an outflow of multinational companies from Russia. But one country openly boasting of a boom in trade with Russia is Turkey..

Turkey's exports to Russia reached an eight-year high of $2.91 billion in the first half of the year, according to TurkStat, the state statistical service..

And Turkish Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoglu boastfully tweeted that the 58% increase in car trade with Russia in the first four months of this year is proof of Turkey's growing logistical strength..

The news is disappointing to Turkey's NATO allies in the US and Europe who have been trying to show a united front to isolate the Russian economy through sanctions, Bloomberg notes..

It is worth noting that Turkey has not imposed sanctions against Russia, but is trying to maintain relations with both sides in the war in Ukraine..

It supplies Ukraine with combat drones, while at the same time encouraging Russian investment, the agency writes..

After talks in Istanbul, Turkey concluded a mediation agreement on the resumption of Black Sea grain exports trapped in the war.

Recall, as The Washington Post reported with reference to the interception of Ukrainian intelligence, at the summit in Sochi, Putin asked his Turkish counterpart to help circumvent sanctions in the energy and financial sectors, in exchange for permission to conduct an operation against the Kurds in Syria..