RUSSIA, TURKEY ENERGY COOPERATION

RPA - February 25, 2026 - The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar have been discussing additional prospects for cooperation in their bilateral oil and gas, as well as the development of nuclear energy, at meetings held in Istanbul.

Novak stressed Türkiye’s important role as a transit country for oil and gas and its ambition to become a strategic regional energy trading hub, coupled with a growing domestic market and active energy-related foreign policy.

He stated that “Russia continues to be the largest supplier of natural gas, oil, and petroleum products to Turkiye and fulfills its obligations to our Turkish partners. Cooperation continues regarding the supply of Russian electricity to Turkiye. This is expected to strengthen the reliability of Türkiye’s energy supply and further contribute to the stability of its energy balance. The TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines are operating well, and the construction of Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, is now underway, which means that a new nuclear energy industry is emerging in Türkiye.” 

Bayraktar said that, in addition to discussing current cooperation in the areas of natural gas and nuclear energy, he and Novak considered “new opportunities for engagement.” Ankara and Moscow attach great importance to continuing our energy dialog, devoting particular attention to the successful development of current projects and the emergence of new areas of cooperation that will bring mutual benefits.”

Long-term contracts with Turkish state company Botas for the delivery of 16 billion cubic meters of gas annually through the Blue Stream pipeline and 5.75 bcm through the TurkStream pipeline expired in 2025, and current agreements with some private importers were set to expire at the beginning of 2026.

Bayraktar said in early December that Turkiye had extended contracts for Russian gas supplies that were expiring at the end of 2025 for one year, meaning that supplies from Russia’s Gazprom will continue during 2026.

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