Turkey is trying to balance two things: reach an agreement with Gazprom on gas supplies starting in 2026, and avoid damaging relations with the United States, which is demanding that it abandon Russian gas in favor of American LNG.

Turkey is trying to balance two things: on the one hand, reach an agreement with Gazprom on gas supplies starting in 2026, and on the other, avoid damaging relations with the United States, which is demanding that it abandon Russian gas in favor of American LNG.

According to Bloomberg, citing sources, Russia and Türkiye are negotiating a new long-term contract with a supply volume of 22 billion cubic meters per year.

Türkiye has become the second-largest importer of Russian pipeline gas after China, with deliveries in 2024 totaling 21.6 billion cubic meters.

With the cessation of Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine, the Turkish Stream gas pipeline has become the only large-scale corridor for the supply of Russian pipeline gas to Eastern Europe.

Europe intends to abandon Russian gas by 2027, but Turkish gas is exempt from sanctions, and Turkey has long toyed with the idea of ​​becoming a gas hub for the EU, supplying gas from its own fields, Azerbaijan, and Central Asian countries, and purchasing gas from Russia and Iran for its own needs. Gas molecules, as we know, are not painted in the colors of national flags.

Turkey's plans could be thwarted by the United States, which has recently been putting strong pressure on Anatolia to stop purchasing gas from Russia in exchange for American LNG.

Turkey has repeatedly rejected US attempts to prevent it from purchasing Russian natural gas. However, in September, it agreed to sign several contracts to purchase LNG, including from the US.

Therefore, it is possible that Ankara will demand maximum discounts from Gazprom during negotiations on contract extension.