The European Union has said that in its new energy agreements with Turkey, the country should refrain from supplying gas of Russian origin to EU member states.
According to Bloomberg on Saturday, June 20, citing German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, Brussels is emphasizing the need to reduce dependence on Russian energy and has made the issue a key part of its negotiations with Turkey.
However, the German economy minister said that Turkey understands the EU’s position, but a complete replacement of Russian gas in the short term is not economically or logistically feasible.
The EU has previously decided to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting in 2027, and to fully stop pipeline gas imports by September 2027.
Under the plan, short-term LNG contracts will be banned from April 2026, while short-term pipeline gas contracts must end by June 2026.
Reports also show that Russian gas exports via the TurkStream pipeline to Europe rose by 8.3% in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 18.1 billion cubic meters.
Pipeline gas exports to Turkey are also expected to increase to 21.2 billion cubic meters by the end of 2025.
Russia currently supplies gas to Turkey through two main pipelines, Blue Stream and TurkStream, both running under the Black Sea.