Russian oligarchs can do business in Turkey if it’s not against international law, foreign minister says

Russian oligarchs can do business in Turkey if it’s not against international law, foreign minister says

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saturday that he'd welcome sanctioned Russian oligarchs into his country as both tourists and investors, as long as any business dealings were kept within the realms of international law. Turkey has been in the spotlight this week with its coastal waters seeing the arrival of two multimillion-dollar superyachts, — quite literally circumnavigating Western sanctions. With each one worth an estimated $600 million or more, Abramovich is seen stationing $1.2 billion in the non-EU country as he seeks to move his assets out of reach of U.S., U.K. and EU governments targeting Russia's wealthy elite. Turkey said it's a legitimate move — so long as the yachts remain outside the territorial waters of sanctioning countries, which extend 12 nautical miles out from the coastline. Speaking to CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Doha Forum, Qatar, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that any activity had to be legal. "We implement U.N.-approved sanctions, so if any Russian citizens want to visit Turkey, of course, they can visit Turkey. Now Russians are coming to visit Turkey, that's no problem," he said. When pushed on whether this extended to investment and business, Cavusoglu replied: "So if you mean that