Ankara renews Russia gas contracts for one year, minister says

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has extended two expiring natural gas import deals with Russia for another year, covering a combined 22 billion cubic meters, as it steps up efforts to diversify supplies and considers entering U.S. gas production, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.

The extension maintains existing delivery levels under contracts held by state pipeline operator Botaş, which together allow for up to 21.75 bcm annually and were due to lapse on Dec. 31.

“Botaş has completed the renewal with Gazprom,” Bayraktar told reporters on Dec. 3 in Istanbul.

“Russian gas will keep flowing next year, but we are prioritizing short-term arrangements — essentially one-year extensions.”

He said Ankara is pursuing brief rollovers rather than long-term commitments. “By short term, I mean a single year. Our goal is to secure affordable, competitive and reliable gas for the domestic market.”

Türkiye, formerly the largest European buyer of Russian gas, has continued to pare back its purchases, reducing Gazprom’s share of its supply basket to below 40 percent. The two Gazprom contracts both expire at year-end.

At the same time, Ankara has locked in several multi-year LNG supply deals, largely with U.S. exporters, aiming to benefit from an anticipated global LNG surplus.

The Turkish minister said Türkiye also plans to take equity stakes in U.S. upstream operations to support its pledge to import up to 1,500 American LNG cargoes over the next 15 years.

“To safeguard our position and create a fully integrated chain, we are exploring direct investment in U.S. production,” he told foreign reporters, noting that national oil company TPAO is in talks with major firms including Chevron and ExxonMobil.

An agreement could come as early as next month, he added.

He also warned Russia and Ukraine against targeting energy infrastructure following several Black Sea drone attacks claimed by Kiev on Russia-linked tankers.

"We tell all the parties, in Russia and Ukraine: Keep the energy infrastructures out of this war, because this is very much linked to people's daily lives," he said.

Last week, two empty oil tankers were hit by explosions off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, at least one of which was on its way to a Russian port.

A third tanker was struck on Dec. 2 en route from Russia to Georgia, with Russia saying it had also been hit by the drone, but this time, Ukraine denied any involvement.