In readjusting its strategy regarding the issue of politics, it appears that , according to a report by Bloomberg, the Turkish leadership is considering the possibility of oil and natural gas fields in , thus moving away from its strategy until now that was mainly based on imports of American .
After Greece’s moves to become a new entry gate for American LNG to Europe, through the vertical corridor, as well as the collaborations with Chevron and Exxon Mobil for hydrocarbon research, Ankara is regrouping and, as can be seen from the statements of Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, on the sidelines of the World LNG Summit in Istanbul, it is looking for ways to strengthen its role in the energy chessboard.
Ankara is looking for stakes in mining projects
According to reports, state-owned Turkish Petroleum is already in talks with US energy giants such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil to participate in mining projects, while Bayraktar left open the possibility of announcements next month as Turkey seeks to reduce its reliance on LNG and gain immediate access to new energy sources.
Bloomberg notes that this strategy is part of Ankara’s effort to strengthen its relations with the US, which is now a key supplier of natural gas. At the same time, Turkey is looking for ways to diversify its dependence on Russia and Azerbaijan, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to use new energy partnerships to strengthen the country’s influence.
He is closing big deals for LNG as well
Turkey has already struck deals with companies such as Mercuria and Woodside for US LNG supplies, and recently signed ten-year contracts with Eni and Germany’s SEFE. In total, it has secured significant quantities of LNG reaching 150 billion cubic meters, most of which will begin to be delivered between 2027 and 2030.
Its goal is not to depend only on Russia, Azerbaijan
Bayraktar argued that LNG from the US is now more competitive than natural gas supplied to Turkey via pipelines from Russia and Iran. Ankara estimates it will receive around 1,500 LNG cargoes over the next 10–15 years, with most prices connected to the Henry Hub in the US. Bayraktar also said that Ankara could increase its gas transport capacity to Bulgaria to 7-10 billion cubic meters per year if Sofia makes some technical upgrades. In this way, additional quantities could be released for Southeast Europe, but also possibly for Ukraine.
To support the increased import volume, Turkey plans to install two more floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), bringing the total to five. One of these is planned to be sent to Egypt during the summer months to cover seasonal shortages, while discussions are also underway with Morocco for similar agreements.
