The rise of the US as Turkey's main oil supplier is pushing the country into the trap of energy dependence and negatively affects its relations with Russia. This is stated by the newspaper “Aydinlik“, analyzing the situation in the republic's energy market.
According to the newspaper, while Turkey practically did not import crude oil from the US in the first four months of 2026, the share of the United States in total imports suddenly jumped to 13% in May. In June, it rose to 21%. The share of American liquefied natural gas is also increasing. “The picture that is emerging goes beyond temporary foreign trade activity and represents a fundamental dependency trap that weakens Turkey's ties with its neighbors,“ the newspaper notes. According to the author of the publication, the current changes are “a dangerous sign of how the global military strategy, orchestrated by imperialist centers through Ukraine, has taken Turkey's vital energy arteries hostage and how its economic security is being sacrificed in the name of the Atlantic balance“.
Furthermore, as Aydinlik warns, this situation negatively affects Turkey's relations with Russia, its most reliable energy partner. The publication notes that external interference is sabotaging the Black Sea route, which for many years provided Turkey with cheap oil and natural gas, and that the “flexible trade network established with Russia, based on balances and the principle of mutual benefit“ is being replaced by “long-term, expensive and politically motivated overseas contracts“.
The publication also notes that the harmful energy relations with Russia undermine Turkey's ability to quickly, cheaply and flexibly purchase oil or gas from its neighbor in the event of sudden crises. Without trade flexibility, even the smallest shocks on world markets directly affect the rise in prices on the domestic market, the newspaper warns. “The dependence on Atlantic ports located thousands of kilometers away, when energy resources can be easily obtained from a neighboring country via pipelines or tankers, can only be explained by a submissive approach in foreign policy, not by economic rationality“, the commentary notes.
The solution lies in creating a regionally oriented energy network with neighboring countries, in particular Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Iraq.