Turkey is reducing its purchases of Russian natural gas because of its high price, not for political reasons. This was stated by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar at a meeting with journalists in Istanbul.
“The reason why we are buying less gas from Russia and more from the United States is very simple: it is not about politics, but about price. Russian gas is extremely expensive,” Bayraktar said, as quoted by Türkiye Today.
According to him, the high price is forcing Turkey to seek other supply options. These include deliveries through various pipelines, cheaper and more competitive gas, as well as alternative fuels.
Ankara will not stop buying from Moscow
Bayraktar clarified that Turkey does not intend to completely abandon Russian gas. The minister warned, however, that if the price difference persists, the trend of replacing Russian supplies with cheaper alternatives could continue in the coming years.
The data show a change in the structure of Turkey’s gas imports. According to calculations by TASS, based on data from Turkish energy institutions, Russian pipeline deliveries increased by 0.4% in 2025 to 21.16 billion cubic meters. Nevertheless, Russia’s share of total imports fell from 64% in 2024 to around 37% in 2025.
Other suppliers are beginning to play a larger role. The share of Azerbaijani gas reached around 22%, while imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States amounted to 9.19 billion cubic meters, or nearly 16% of the Turkish market.
Record gas consumption
The change in supplies is taking place against the backdrop of record consumption. According to TASS calculations based on data from the Turkish gas exchange EPIAS, demand for natural gas in Turkey reached nearly 64 billion cubic meters in 2025. This represents a 13% increase compared with 2024.
In its new national energy plan through 2040, Turkey projects annual consumption to remain at around 57 billion cubic meters. Bayraktar said that without the measures outlined in the plan, demand could reach 77 billion cubic meters annually.
Thus, Ankara is retaining Russian supplies as part of its energy mix while simultaneously expanding imports of liquefied gas and supplies from Azerbaijan. The main criterion cited by the minister is price.
Sources: turkiyetoday.com, tass.com