Ankara is in talks with Moscow about resolving issues with bank transfers. This matter was brought up during a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to a diplomatic source in the Turkish capital, as reported by Sputnik.

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexey Yerkhov told Sputnik earlier that the situation around payment transfers from Russia to Turkey remains tense, and the West is deliberately destroying Russian-Turkish trade and economic cooperation. 

There have been no fundamental changes in resolving the problem with bank transfers from Russia to Turkey, and the timeline for resolving the situation remains uncertain, a spokesperson for Ziraat State Bank in Ankara told Sputnik.

"Mr. Minister [Hakan Fidan] met with representatives of Turkish businesses during his visit to Russia. During the negotiations, the issue of a problem with bank payments was raised; the situation was also discussed during the minister’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin."

"Options for solutions are now being discussed," the source said. VTB CEO Andrei Kostin suggested that creating a mechanism based on national and digital currencies could solve the banking difficulties between Russia and Turkey.

Anti-Russia sanctions ineffective

Russia has repeatedly stated that it would withstand the sanctions pressure the West began exerting several years ago and continues to intensify. Moscow has claimed that the West lacks the courage to acknowledge the failure of these sanctions.

In Western countries, opinions have frequently been voiced that anti-Russian sanctions are ineffective.

Last month, during an interview with the Turkish daily Posta, the leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, stated his belief that it is "correct" for Ankara not to join sanctions against Russia as it is also right to implement the Montreux Convention.

The Montreaux Convention prevents warships from entering the Turkish Straits.

"I believe Turkey's balanced position in relations between Ukraine and Russia is correct. Turkey took a position supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine but took a mediating role instead of applying sanctions against Russia. It did not give in to US sanctions. I believe it is right to implement Montreux and other steps," the leader said.