Turkey to Continue Buying Natural Gas from Russia Despite US Calls

Turkey will continue to purchase natural gas from Russia, despite calls from Washington, stated the country's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. “We have agreements with Moscow. The winter season is approaching. We cannot tell our citizens that there is no gas. We need to obtain gas from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan,” the minister remarked, adding that Turkey imports energy resources based on its own needs.

Bayraktar also announced that negotiations are ongoing with Russia to extend the natural gas supply agreement via the 'Blue Stream' pipeline to Turkey. Previously, during a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House, Donald Trump urged Ankara to stop purchasing Russian energy resources so as not to contribute to the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war. Erdoğan indicated that Turkey is opting for a policy of diversifying its energy sources.