Türkiye pushes back against Trump's call to stop buying Russian oil
Türkiye refuses to comply with Trump's demand (photo: Getty Images)
Türkiye remains a major buyer of Russian oil and gas despite US demands, while simultaneously expanding long-term LNG import agreements and seeking alternative sources, Bloomberg reports.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the purchase of Russian oil is a commercial decision made by refiners. According to him, the country's authorities do not intend to intervene directly in this process.
"This is essentially the decision of private companies, distributors, and refiners," he said in an interview with CNNTurk.
He noted that Turkish refineries were initially built to process raw materials from nearby sources, so purchases from Russia have not only a commercial but also a technical aspect.
The Turkish energy minister also emphasized the need to ensure reliable gas supplies for the country ahead of winter. "We need to buy gas from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, wherever we can," he said.
Pressure from the US
The statement came amid increased pressure from Washington on its allies to reduce energy trade with Moscow. At a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, US President Donald Trump said: "I'd like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine."
Despite the pressure, Türkiye remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. At the same time, Ankara is actively diversifying supplies through long-term LNG import agreements with the United States.
Alternative supplies
The market situation could change with the resumption of oil exports from northern Iraq to Türkiye after a two-year hiatus. This became possible thanks to an agreement supported by the United States and could become an additional source of supply for Ankara.
The key buyers of Russian oil in Türkiye remain Türkiye Petrol Rafineleri AS and Star Rafineri AS, which are owned by Azerbaijan's Socar.
Positions of other countries
Türkiye is not the only country showing caution regarding US demands. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier stated that landlocked countries would find themselves in a difficult position if forced to abandon pipeline deliveries of Russian oil and gas.
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also stated that India will continue to purchase Russian oil despite the 50% US tariffs imposed on Indian companies.
