Turkey plans to continue purchasing Russian gas after 2026
Turkey and Russia are negotiating the extension of natural gas supply agreements beyond 2026, as the current contracts are set to expire at the end of that period. The parties are discussing the possibility of extending their energy cooperation, which remains a key component of their bilateral economic relations.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
Turkey’s state-owned company Botas is negotiating with Russian gas giant Gazprom to renew import contracts, said Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. The potential volumes and duration of the agreements have not yet been agreed upon, he said.
In December, Ankara extended two contracts with Gazprom to receive gas via the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines.
Turkey is the company’s second-largest market after China, following Gazprom’s loss of most of its European customers after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Recall that Russia threatened to cut off cheap gas to Armenia.
The European Union has discussed the possible appointment of a special mediator for contacts with Russia, and Angela Merkel is among the leading candidates. Mario Draghi and Alexander Stubb are also being considered alongside her, but no final decision has been made yet due to disagreements among diplomats. Some countries view such an initiative as a risky concession to the Kremlin, while others see it as a pragmatic tool amid the diminishing role of the U.S. as the main mediator.
Putin has cut gas prices for China to a minimum – Reuters.
