Turkey has signed a 20-year deal with Mercuria to purchase U. S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
This agreement was announced before Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with U. S. President Donald Trump. Russia is currently Turkey’s largest gas supplier, but Turkey has been working to diversify its energy sources. This new deal comes as several of Turkey’s contracts with Russia are set to expire this year.
The European Union plans to ban Russian LNG imports by the end of 2026 as part of sanctions against Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. So far, Turkey has not reached any new supply agreements with Russia. The latest deal allows for the annual supply of 4 billion cubic meters of LNG starting in 2026, with a total of around 70 billion cubic meters anticipated.
Additionally, BOTAS, Turkey’s state energy company, signed a preliminary nine-year LNG agreement with Australia’s Woodside Energy, which will provide 5.8 billion cubic meters of LNG beginning in 2030. Last year, Russia was responsible for 40% of Turkey’s gas imports, while the U. S. contributed 10%. The energy deals are part of Turkey’s efforts to strengthen its ties with the United States.
with information from Reuters