Russians in Turkey are struggling to make deposits and transfers at banks that are taking a cautious and skeptical approach for fear of violating Western sanctions on Moscow, Reuters reported, citing sources.

Private lenders are particularly resistant to some customer requests and put them through additional levels of compliance to make sure they comply with international and domestic laws, four bankers and two Turkish officials told Reuters.

All of this is frustrating for some Russians who have come to Turkey since the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, many of them carrying wads of cash.

At least six Russians in Istanbul said they were having difficulty doing basic banking, in part because Visa and Mastercard had suspended operations as part of US sanctions.

Looking for workarounds to pay for things like accommodation, many Russians are trying to open accounts and deposit funds in local banks, given that Turkey has good ties to Moscow and opposes sanctions.

Private banks are especially wary of new Russian deposits and are afraid of sanctions,” said a senior Turkish banker who asked not to be named, adding that the industry standard for know your customer identity verification is critical. The problem is not to open an account, but how the money will come in and what will happen if some sanctions are introduced. Banks are very careful with new accounts.

The banking regulator said that the authorities and financial institutions are closely monitoring the sanctions against Russia. But “our organization does not have any instructions for restricting citizens of any country that is not subject to sanctions, the regulator said in a statement.