President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye will make a state visit to Turkmenistan next week, where one of the key topics will be expanding cooperation in the field of natural gas supplies. This was announced by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar during a meeting with journalists in Istanbul, as reported by TASS.
According to the minister, the visit to Ashgabat will focus, in particular, on increasing the volumes of Turkmen pipeline gas for the Turkish market. “The start of gas supplies from Turkmenistan to the Turkish market, and I think to the European market as well, has become important news. Because there is great potential in delivering Turkmen gas to Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor. But this is just a small step. We are aiming to receive 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan. And most likely, next week we will head to Ashgabat together with President Erdogan,” Bayraktar noted.
Türkiye intends to increase the volumes of Turkmen gas supplied through Iran via a swap deal. This year, in March, the two countries signed a one-year agreement with Turkmenistan for 1.3 billion cubic meters. As the minister stated, about 0.5 billion of this volume has already been imported.
Efforts on Supply Diversification
The minister emphasized that Türkiye is actively working on diversifying energy sources, including signing long-term contracts for liquefied natural gas (LNG). In particular, the company BOTAŞ has concluded agreements with US suppliers.
According to the minister, there has been a significant shift in BOTAŞ’s perception of LNG. Türkiye has traditionally viewed LNG as a flexible energy source, as a tool for demand management. “But in the end, we are coming to the understanding that these long-term contracts are also a tool for ensuring supply security,” Bayraktar added.
Currently, according to Bayraktar, Türkiye is supplied with gas from 14 directions, including pipelines from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
This year, Ankara extended two expiring contracts with Russia’s Gazprom for a total volume of 22 billion cubic meters for one year. The share of Russian gas in Turkish imports has dropped below 40%, while the United States has become the fourth-largest supplier with a volume of 5.5 billion cubic meters and a 14% share.
In addition, Türkiye is negotiating with Iran to extend a contract for 10 billion cubic meters of gas, which expires in July next year.
Türkiye Investing in U.S. Gas Production
In the context of its global strategy, Ankara plans to invest in gas production in the United States to create a full supply chain.
“To hedge our position and create the whole value chain, we are considering investing in the upstream in the U.S. market,” Bayraktar stated. This is reported by Dailysabah.
The state company TPAO is in talks with US giants such as Chevron and Exxon, and a deal could be concluded as early as next month. In addition, BOTAŞ has signed agreements with German and Italian companies for LNG supplies starting in 2028.
Expansion of LNG Capacities
Türkiye also intends to expand its infrastructure: in the coming years, it plans to add two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), which will increase LNG intake capacities. Currently, the country has three FSRUs and two onshore terminals capable of handling more than 50 billion cubic meters of gas in liquid form. These capacities could later be leased, for example, to Morocco or other countries.
Progress in Creating an International Gas Hub
The minister noted progress in creating an international gas hub: “We are working in the right direction. As the volumes of competitive gas entering Türkiye increase, along with export capacities around us, I think we are automatically creating this gas hub.”
Türkiye can supply from 7 billion to 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and the energy exchange EPİAŞ has been relocated to Istanbul’s financial center for monitoring the situation. ///nCa, 4 December 2025