This was amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging top Russian businessmen who have close ties to the Kremlin.
Turkey’s NTV Television reported that the luxury yacht Solaris, which was Bermuda-flagged, docked in the Turkish southern port. Turkey has not joined sanctions against Russia after it left Montenegro.
According to the Sozcu newspaper, a group of Ukrainians wearing Ukrainian flags and the words “No War,” boarded a small motorboat and attempted to stop the yacht from docking.
It wasn’t known if Abramovich was on the yacht, or if it was moved from Turkey to avoid sanctions.
The European Union placed sanctions on Abramovich last week as it updated its list of people facing travel bans and asset freezes due to their ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government. This has led to the Russian military invading Ukraine. Abramovich was already punished in Britain.
NATO member Turkey has close ties with both Russia and Ukraine. While it has condemned Moscow’s invasion in Ukraine, it has also tried to position itself as neutral and mediate between them.
Turkey has closed the Turkish Straits linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to Russian warships, but has not imposed sanctions against Russia or closed its airspace to Russian flight.
Last week, Abramovich flew from Jerusalem to Istanbul aboard his private plane before heading for Moscow the following morning.
