“No signs of reconciliation” in the battle between the Turkish authorities and the insurance companies. At least 28 ships with between 15 and 25 million barrels of oil were still stuck in the Black Sea on December 9, reports reporter Sean Mathews in the The eye of the Middle East. This mess, “which risks increasing the instability of the world’s energy market”is linked to new Turkish regulations introduced in the wake of Western measures against Russian oil.

Oil tankers wishing to use the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits must provide documents proving that they have a specific and extremely expensive type of insurance that most Western insurance companies refuse. “We are at a dead end, there is no doubt about it, says Neil Roberts, of the British insurance market Lloyd’s Market Association, on the pan-Arab news site. The Turks are asking for guarantees that the insurance companies simply cannot give them.”

A filter favorable to Russian boats

For Turkey, the verification of the insurance must make it possible to avoid the passage of “ghost ships”, transport hydrocarbons without complying with the global Russian oil price ceiling. The measure, which was decided in early December by the G7 countries, the EU and Australia, effectively bans Western companies from insuring ships carrying oil sold at more than $60 per barrel. barrel.

But in reality, most boats are able to prove that they are insured “are those who have Russian insurance, with the latter likely to provide the documents requested by Ankara”.

For Western countries, the situation is special “frustrating”ensures The eye of the Middle East. Especially since “The majority of the boats blocked by Turkey transport oil from Kazakhstan, where companies such as Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Total are involved in operations there”. However, Kazakh oil is not affected by Western sanctions.

This is ensured by the media based in London “this impasse highlights Turkey’s decisive role in the Ukrainian case”. If the United States refuses to see Moscow’s influence behind the affair with the stranded oil tankers, Ankara has for several months appeared as the rebellious child of the Atlantic alliance. The Turkish government in particular blocks Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO “promote one’s own foreign policy goals”.