Several Turkish banks recently announced that they would stop servicing Russian credit and debit cards working on the Mir payment system. The decision came in light of recent statements by the US that it will economically punish entities helping Russia to circumvent western sanctions – namely via the Mir payment system, widely used by ordinary Russians travelling to Turkey as tourists.
US Treasury Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Rosenberg said on September 20 that Washington will continue to work with Turkey to close "vulnerabilities" in the sanctions system such as the use of Mir cards. Economics observer Recеp Burçin Turkish claimed that this constitutes Washington illegally imposing its own policies on foreign countries.
"The Mir payment system in Turkey is mainly used by Russian tourists. Tourism is a peaceful sphere, and freedom of movement is one of the inalienable human rights. The US does not have the right to influence or infringe upon these basic rights and freedoms in any way," Recеp Burçin explained.
The economist points out that US meddling in the cooperation on tourism between the two countries is also illegal since the UN never imposed sanctions against Russia.
What Can Turkey and Russia Do Over the Mir System Block?
Recеp Burçin continued that Turkish banks were forced to ditch the Russian Mir payment system to avoid harsh consequences for their financial systems in case the US decided to deliver on its sanctions threats. He stressed that the Turkish financial system is closely intertwined and supported by Washington.
However, not all is lost for the Russian tourists, the economist believes. Tourism will have to find another way to overcome this obstacle. While Russian authorities advise their citizens to bring more cash to Turkey, Recеp Burçin thinks that the salvation may come in the form of the Turkish Troy payment system.
20 September 2022, 13:57 GMT
Another option is to pay with cryptocurrencies, Burçin noted, while adding that such services are not yet broadly available in the country.