Turkey plans to reduce Russian gas reliance over price, minister says
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar attributed a shift toward U.S. supplies to costs, though Turkey's purchase price for Russian gas is not public.
Turkey intends to reduce its dependence on Russian gas because of its cost rather than geopolitical considerations, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Nov. 5, according to media reports.
The pro-government outlet Turkiye Today reported that Bayraktar cited price as the reason Turkey was buying more gas from the U.S. and less from Russia. He made the remarks to journalists at the presentation of the National Energy 2040 plan. The price Turkey pays for Russian supplies is not publicly disclosed, preventing verification of his claim.
Russia remains a major supplier across Turkey's energy sector. The International Energy Agency's report on Turkish energy in 2026 said natural gas represented over one quarter of the country's total energy supply in 2024, with Russia supplying much of its imported gas.
According to the IEA, Russia's share of Turkish oil imports rose from less than one-sixth in 2021 to over 50% in 2024. Russia has also ranked as Turkey's largest coal supplier since 2022.
The countries are also jointly developing the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The IEA said its expected service life of 60-80 years creates a long-term reliance on Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear company.
