Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 2 sent a letter to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico requesting his assistance in an attempt at lifting EU sanctions applied to Uzbek-born tycoon Alisher Usmanov, the Ján Kuciak Investigative Centre (ICJK) reported on March 31.

Hungarian news portal ICJK published the full text of the letter (as seen in the article picture) sent by Erdogan to Fico.

10 governments lobbying

The letter featured among other revelations. These included a voice recording of a phone call between Hungary’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Usmanov was on the agenda again as Lavrov asked Szijjarto for help in having the sanctions on the businessman, a citizen of both Russia and Uzbekistan, removed.

The revealed voice records and letters show that the governments of Turkey, Russia, Slovakia and Hungary have mobilised to lobby on behalf of Usmanov.

Additionally, Erdogan suggests in his letter that the leaders of the countries that are members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) have also lobbied on behalf of Usmanov. Taking Erdogan’s suggestion into account, it means that 10 governments are lobbying to obtain a sanctions-free status for the tycoon. The full members of the OTS are Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. Turkmenistan and Hungary have observer status at the organisation.

“Most important example”

Erdogan writes in his letter to Fico that, in the context of the embargo and sanctions applied to the Russian Federation, Turkey remains committed to adhering exclusively to UN resolutions, and does not allow US and EU sanctions to be circumvented via the country.

Given this approach, third party nationals subject to the sanctions can face certain difficulties in their relations with Turkey, he added.

“The most important example in this regard are the EU’s sanctions against Uzbek philanthropist and businessman Alisher Usmanov and his family,” Erdogan stated.

“Devoted himself to charitable activities”

Erdogan also wrote that it is known that Usmanov has conducted his business activities, which reach back to the 1990s, transparently, has not resorted to measures of economic policy introduced by the Russian government since the 2000s and has not financed any initiatives in this regard.

Having retired from his active business life approximately 10 years ago and devoted himself to charitable activities, Usmanov supported cultural, humanitarian and sporting projects promoting the opening of Central Asian countries to the West, while also making a significant contribution to strengthening human ties within the Turkic world, Erdogan also said in his letter to Fico.

Sanctions on sisters lifted

Erdogan continued that nevertheless, the restrictive measures adopted by the EU Council against Usmanov were also applied to his sisters, Saodat Narzieva and Gulbahor Ismailova. Their names, added Erdogan, were, however, removed from the sanctions list by Council decisions taken in 2022 and 2025 following a thorough legal review.

Usmanov remains on the EU sanctions list due to allegations of close ties to the leadership of the Russian Federation, while there are delays in translating positive decisions regarding his family members into national legislation, Erdogan added.

Refuting the reasoning

According to Erdogan’s knowledge of the matter, the EU Council was in March considering a possible six-month extension of the restrictive measures.

Over the past four years, Usmanov has taken significant legal steps to refute the reasoning of the sanctions applied to him, Erdogan also said.

As part of these efforts, 18 decisions were issued in national courts of EU member states, over 100 refutations and retractions were published in the media and by public figures in 10 EU countries, 18 publications featured in the sanctions documentation were removed and over 2,000 materials were corrected in international media.

“I also took initiatives with certain EU leaders”

Seeking to end the unfair practice pursued against Usmanov, the heads of state of OTS members signed joint letters addressed to then president of the EU Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Erdogan wrote, adding: “I also took initiatives with certain EU leaders.”

The EU Council and relevant institutions were to have the opportunity to review the restrictive decisions made on Usmanov at their meetings in March.

Erdogan said that considering Usmanov’s sincere efforts to fully cooperate with EU institutions, and taking into account humanitarian considerations, he believed Fico’s support in removing him from the EU sanctions list and correcting the violation of his rights would prove extremely valuable.