EU presidency chair Cyprus has changed its stance on lifting EU sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and now opposes it due to historical disputes with Turkey, a bne IntelliNews source familiar with the Coreper discussions in the EU on March 13.

The source explained that the sudden shift from Cyprus’s previously neutral stance is linked to media reports of a letter sent by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

It was previously reported that the governments of Slovakia and Hungary have been advocating for the lifting of sanctions on several Russians, including Usmanov and Alfa Group owner Mikhail Fridman, which were imposed against them in 2022 following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.

EU sanctions are renewed every six months by a unanimous vote of the 27 member states. In the absence of consensus, the extension of the sanctions regime targeting approximately 2,700 Russians could be jeopardized, Euronews reported the same day.

The source clarified that they were familiar with the contents of Erdoğan’s letter, which they also said is representative of other Turkic world countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as several Middle Eastern nations.

The leaders of the Turkic world, alongside a number of sports and public figures, had also sent previously unreported letters to EU leadership and individual European countries requesting assistance in delisting Usmanov.

“In this case, it is not a matter of lobbying for Turkey’s interests, but rather presenting the consolidated position of these countries, for whom Usmanov is a significant figure given his long-standing contributions to philanthropy and attracting investments,” the source added. “Furthermore, Turkey’s position carries substantial weight for the EU itself: for instance, Germany is home to approximately 4mn citizens of Turkish descent. Cyprus’s stance in this regard is driven more by historical disagreements with Turkey than by the interests of a country that particiates in Nato's partnership programmes and holds the EU presidency”.

During previous discussions, representatives of Cyprus maintained a neutral stance regarding the removal of Usmanov from the EU sanctions list. The shift to opposing his removal represents a new position by the Cypriot leadership.

Usmanov has repeatedly denied he is an “oligarch” and has won numerous cases against publications using the designation and claiming that he has profited from alleged, but unproven, close ties with the Kremlin. His sister Saodat Narzieva was also briefly sanctioned by the EU, which claimed that she was fronting for her brother. However, the EU removed her from the list in September 2022, when it was shown the allegations were unfounded. Sanctions on Fridman were also partially lifted in the same decision, after it was found allegations of his ties to the Kremlin were unfounded.

According to diplomatic sources, Cyprus was among the countries that supported the removal of sanctions on Usmanov’s second sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, who was removed from the EU sanctions list last year.

“From a legal standpoint, compelling evidence was presented proving the groundlessness of the sanctions against Usmanov, including refutations of absolutely all the sanction-related allegations brought against him. We are facing a situation where the discussion among representatives at COREPER has shifted from a legal framework not into the realm of the EU’s internal political interests—which has always been the case—but rather into the sphere of bilateral relations issues that are entirely unrelated to the extension of the sanctions regime,” he concluded.