U.S. officials held talks with Turkish counterparts regarding compliance with financial sanctions imposed against Russia, the latest Western move to force Ankara to take a tougher stance against Moscow, Bloomberg reported.

A delegation led by Elizabeth Rosenberg, the U.S. Treasury assistant secretary for terrorism financing and financial crimes, met with Turkey's central bank governor and business groups in Ankara and Istanbul earlier this week, and was due to meet with local Treasury Department officials on Wednesday.

The visit came a week after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kazakh capital. The two leaders agreed to strengthen energy ties and create an international gas hub in Turkey, potentially making the country a key route for Russian flows to Europe.

Turkey's deepening economic and trade ties with Russia, bolstered by Erdogan and Putin's cordial relationship, has drawn the ire of the West, which wants to create a united international front to persuade Moscow to change course on Ukraine, Bloomberg wrote.

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo visited Turkey in June as part of an effort by President Joe Biden's administration to mobilize support for blocking Russian assets abroad. Adeyemo later sent a letter to several Turkish business groups warning them of the consequences of doing business in Russia.

In September, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control warned financial institutions about the risks of entering into new contracts or expanding existing contracts with the Russian payment card operator Mir. This alarmed Turkish officials, and all five Turkish banks participating in the system subsequently abandoned it.

Turkey is becoming an increasingly important partner for Putin as sanctions close other avenues for trade, travel and investment. And Erdogan, who will run for a new term in next year's elections, hopes that Russia will help support Turkey's troubled economy, which includes providing preferential gas and an agreement on lira payments, the publication notes.