Türkiye remains a major buyer of Russian oil and gas despite US demands, while simultaneously expanding long-term LNG import agreements and seeking alternative sources, Bloomberg reports.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the purchase of Russian oil is a commercial decision made by refiners. According to him, the country's authorities do not intend to intervene directly in this process.
"This is essentially the decision of private companies, distributors, and refiners," he said in an interview with CNNTurk.
He noted that Turkish refineries were initially built to process raw materials from nearby sources, so purchases from Russia have not only a commercial but also a technical aspect.
The Turkish energy minister also emphasized the need to ensure reliable gas supplies for the country ahead of winter. "We need to buy gas from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, wherever we can," he said.
The statement came amid increased pressure from Washington on its allies to reduce energy trade with Moscow. At a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, US President Donald Trump said: "I'd like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine."
Despite the pressure, Türkiye remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. At the same time, Ankara is actively diversifying supplies through long-term LNG import agreements with the United States.
