NP
Ankara – Turkiye has rejected US demands to stop purchasing Russian gas, saying it will continue imports from all available suppliers, including Moscow.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stressed that ensuring steady supplies is vital for the country’s energy security. “We cannot tell our citizens that we have run out of gas. To maintain uninterrupted supply, we need access to resources without discrimination,” he said. “Our agreements with Russia remain in place, and with winter approaching, we need as much gas as possible.”
His comments came after former US President Donald Trump urged NATO members to cut Russian energy imports in return for new sanctions on Moscow, which he argued would help speed up peace in Ukraine. Following his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week, Trump had suggested Türkiye would likely comply.
Bayraktar dismissed this, saying Turkiye will not only continue Russian imports but also diversify suppliers and expand domestic production. “Turkiye consumes a significant amount of natural gas. Diversification is crucial,the more sources we buy from, the safer it is,” he added.
Western countries have sharply reduced imports of Russian oil and gas since the Ukraine war escalated in 2022. The EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels completely by 2027, though several member states, including Hungary and Slovakia, remain heavily dependent on Russian supplies.
Although not an EU member, Turkiye is a NATO ally and an important regional partner. It has refused to join Western sanctions on Russia and has maintained both energy trade and close diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Russia, for its part, has called restrictions on its energy sector illegal and self defeating, warning that Europe will be forced to turn to more expensive alternatives or indirect imports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week, “Trump has never hidden his intention to secure US economic interests. The easiest way is to make the whole world pay more for American oil and LNG.”
