Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

September 3, 2025
A A
Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

According to the latest trade registry filing in Turkey, the Gerimex firm is registered at No. 14 in a residential apartment building in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm

The Spanish National Court has confirmed the pretrial detention of a Georgian national at the center of an international smuggling network that used Turkey as a key logistical hub to disguise the re-export of sensitive industrial equipment to Russia.

The July 14, 2025 ruling sheds light on how Turkish companies and infrastructure were systematically exploited to bypass European Union sanctions.

Court documents reveal that a Georgian citizen identified only by the first name of Alexander orchestrated the export of a FAGIMA Studio 800 machine tool, classified as dual-use equipment, from Spain through a chain of shell companies. The equipment was officially consigned to Turkey, but investigators found its real destination was the Russian company Newton-ITM, a firm with ties to Moscow’s defense-related sectors.

To mask the transfer, Alexander relied on GERIMEKS ST Global Ithalat Ihracat Ltd. Sti, a Turkish trading company registered as an importer. Turkish trade registry data show that the company is owned by Ali Rıza Gülkanat, who appears to be a politician involved with both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

 

The Spanish court’s ruling reveals how Russia used Turkey as a conduit to circumvent Western sanctions:

 

Evidence seized by Spanish police included company seals for GERIMEKS in Turkey, GERIMEX in Russia and International Engineering & Machine SL (INTEM) in Spain. The possession of these stamps allowed Alexander to fabricate commercial documents, making it appear as though shipments were legitimate Turkish imports rather than diversions to Russia.

Messages recovered from Alexander’s phone provided investigators with a clear picture of the Turkish connection. In April and May 2024 Alexander exchanged messages with Russian contacts at Newton-ITM, sending invoices and transport documents. One invoice from a logistics company showed a 12,000 euro transport contract for moving the machine tool from Istanbul to the Russian port of Tuapse and from there to Moscow.

These conversations demonstrated that Turkey was not the final destination but rather a transit location. Goods were brought into Turkey, repackaged as Turkish exports, and then shipped onwards to Russia, allowing the network to sidestep EU trade restrictions.

 

The FAGIMA Studio 800 is a high-precision, 5-axis CNC machining center designed for complex industrial manufacturing, capable of producing parts with intricate geometries for aerospace, automotive and defense applications.

The court ruling shows how Turkish-registered companies provided crucial cover for the network. GERIMEKS in Turkey and GERIMEX in Russia appeared to be mirror companies controlled by associates of the accused. By maintaining entities in both countries, the group created a false commercial trail, making it difficult for customs and regulators to detect the illicit transfers.

Investigators concluded that Alexander was the “true leader of the triangulation scheme,” using Turkey as the middle node between Spain, the originator of the export, and Russia, the final recipient.

The case adds to mounting European concerns that Turkey is serving as a conduit for sanction-busting schemes benefiting Moscow. EU and US officials have repeatedly warned that Turkish companies are re-exporting dual-use goods such as industrial machinery, electronics and chemical precursors that can be repurposed for Russia’s military industry.

 

This trade registry document shows that Gerimex in Turkey is owned by Ali Rıza Gülkanat:

 

In this case, the Spanish court pointed to Turkey’s role not as a passive transit country but as an active link in the supply chain, where companies were registered, documents forged and shipments staged. The use of corporate seals tied to Turkish firms underscored the depth of the involvement.

Alexander’s defense team insisted that all exports complied with EU trade rules, that Turkish companies were legitimate commercial partners and that the accused had no control over the goods once they left Spain. The defense also emphasized Alexander’s poor health as grounds for release.

However, the judges found that the document trail, the possession of Turkish corporate seals and cross-border coordination pointed to deliberate deception. The court concluded that Turkey was instrumental in disguising the real destination of the prohibited exports and that Alexander personally orchestrated the scheme from behind the scenes.

The ruling illustrates how easily Turkish trading companies can be drawn into sanctions-busting networks. It raises questions about Ankara’s enforcement of export controls and whether some Turkish firms are willingly providing cover for Russian procurement efforts with the full knowledge and approval of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

With Spain now confirming Alexander’s detention, prosecutors are expected to expand their investigation into the network’s Turkish ties, which could lead to greater scrutiny of Ankara’s role as a sanctions loophole within NATO and the EU’s broader security landscape.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Turkish government urged to give intelligence training to state-funded students abroad

Abdullah Bozkurt

Abdullah Bozkurt

[email protected]

Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

September 3, 2025
Turkish government urged to give intelligence training to state-funded students abroad

Turkish government urged to give intelligence training to state-funded students abroad

September 2, 2025
UN identifies Turkish weapons in South Sudan conflict despite arms embargo

UN identifies Turkish weapons in South Sudan conflict despite arms embargo

September 1, 2025
Pro-Erdoğan think tank recommends abandoning additional S-400 purchase to avoid further strengthening Greece’s hand

US denies talk of agreement on Turkey’s S-400 purchase

August 29, 2025
Secret military intel shows most foreign jihadists let go in Turkey after detention

Turks among top groups stripped of French citizenship over jihadist terror links

August 28, 2025
Turkey to compensate Iraq for stolen Kurdish oil in a scheme that enriched Erdogan’s family

Erdogan’s family is accused of using shell companies to hide oil transit revenues from Iraq

August 27, 2025
Turkey gifts warship to Maldives while selling the country armed drones produced by Erdogan’s son-in-law

Turkey gifts warship to Maldives while selling the country armed drones produced by Erdogan’s son-in-law

August 26, 2025
Turkey continues to convert historic sites to mosques as part of Islamization campaign

Turkey continues to convert historic sites to mosques as part of Islamization campaign

August 25, 2025
Turkey’s richest people hide their identities as unexplained wealth, money laundering and favoritism raise alarm

Turkey’s richest people hide their identities as unexplained wealth, money laundering and favoritism raise alarm

August 22, 2025
Turkish gov’t leveraged bribes to New York mayor to undermine Erdogan’s opponents

New York watchdog puts a new spotlight on Turkey’s meddling in US elections

August 21, 2025

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov China Cyprus Diyanet Egypt Erdogan espionage Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hamas Hulusi Akar Ibrahim Kalın IHH Iran IRGC Quds Force ISIL ISIS Isis al-qaida Israel Libya Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Profiling Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT spying Spying Activities Suleyman Soylu Sweden Syria Torture Turkey Turkish Intelligence Agency Turkish intelligence agency MIT Ukraine United States

Recent News

Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

Spain flags Ankara’s growing role in sanctions evasion for Russia

September 3, 2025
Turkish government urged to give intelligence training to state-funded students abroad

Turkish government urged to give intelligence training to state-funded students abroad

September 2, 2025
UN identifies Turkish weapons in South Sudan conflict despite arms embargo

UN identifies Turkish weapons in South Sudan conflict despite arms embargo

September 1, 2025

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.