US sanctions Erdogan confidant who helped Iran finance terror

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Thursday on prominent Turkish businessman Sitki Ayan and his network of firms, accusing him of acting as a facilitator for oil sales and money laundering on behalf of Iran. The move only came after an in-depth report in Politico which highlighted how Ayan, who has close ties to Turkish President Erdogan, helped Tehran dodge US sanctions.

Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to break down this story and the Turkey-Iran connection, and look at why, despite being aware of his activities, the US government was reluctant to sanction Ayan until after Politico broke the story.

Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he contributes to FDD’s Turkey Program and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). He is also an Associate Professor of Security Studies at the Command and Staff College-Marine Corps University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.