Turkey has rejected U.S. calls to stop importing Russian gas, with Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stating the country will continue purchases from multiple suppliers, including Moscow. The decision follows Trump’s urging of NATO members to halt Russian energy imports in exchange for new sanctions on Moscow, which he argues would accelerate the peace process in Ukraine.
Bayraktar dismissed the notion, stressing that steady supplies were crucial for his country’s energy security. ‘We cannot tell our citizens, ‘we have run out of gas,’ to ensure uninterrupted supply, we need to ensure access to these resources without discrimination,’ he said. ‘Turkey will naturally continue to receive gas from Russia as the agreements are already in place. Winter is coming. We need to get as much gas as possible from Russia.’
He added that Turkey will keep diversifying suppliers, as well as expanding domestic production. ‘Turkey has significant natural gas consumption. A diversification strategy is crucial… The more sources we buy from, the safer it is,’ he stated.
Western states have significantly reduced Russian energy imports since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The EU now plans to abandon Russian fossil fuels by 2027, though many states still buy it. Hungary and Slovakia are both major importers of Russian energy, and strongly oppose the phase-out.
Turkey is not an EU member but remains a key partner and NATO state. It refused to join Western sanctions on Russia in the aftermath of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. It continued energy imports and maintained close diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Moscow has called restrictions targeting its energy illegal and self-defeating, warning the EU would have to turn to costlier alternatives or indirect imports. Russian officials also view Trump’s push to steer NATO members away from Russian supplies as intended to boost U.S. exports.
‘Trump has never hidden his intention to secure U.S. economic interests. The simplest way is to force the entire world to pay more for American oil and LNG,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RBK last week.