Russian gas company Gazprom is in talks with Turkish partners about extending key natural gas supply contracts that are due to expire at the end of the year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Russia’s TASS state news agency on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Novak said Gazprom and Turkish buyers were discussing how to carry the existing deals into next year. “Gazprom is in contact with its Turkish partners,” he said when asked whether Russia would prolong its gas contracts with Turkey.
TASS reported that the talks cover agreements between Gazprom and Turkey’s state-owned oil and gas company BOTAŞ for gas that flows through the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipelines, which connect Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea. Those contracts together cover about 21.75 billion cubic meters of gas each year and are set to run out at the end of 2025.
Gazprom has also signed long-term contracts with several private Turkish gas importers since 2007, some of which are due to end between 2025 and 2026, adding more pressure to renegotiate terms.
The Russian agency said Gazprom held five meetings with Turkish partners in 2025 to review the status and future of Russian gas supplies to Turkey, including talks with BOTAŞ and the private company Bosphorus Gaz Corporation.
Turkey relies heavily on imported gas for power generation, heating and industry, and Russia remains its largest single supplier despite Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Official data from Turkey’s energy regulator show that the country imported about 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023 and that more than 21 billion cubic meters came from Russia, roughly 40 percent of total imports.
Ankara has tried to diversify away from Russian pipeline gas by buying more liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the United States and other producers. In September BOTAŞ signed a 20 year LNG supply agreement with the Mercuria trading company that will bring around 4 billion cubic meters a year from US export terminals starting in 2026.
Turkish officials present that deal as part of a wider effort to secure supplies and reduce exposure to Russian and Iranian gas.
At the same time, Turkey and Russia have deepened cooperation on gas transportation.
TurkStream now carries Russian gas not only to Turkey but also to European Union states in southeastern Europe after other routes through Ukraine and the Baltic Sea were cut or damaged.
Reuters calculations based on European network data show that TurkStream has delivered about 20 billion cubic meters of gas a year to Turkey and Europe in recent years, making Turkey Russia’s last major gas market in Europe.
The United States has granted Turkey waivers that allow it to keep paying for Russian gas despite sanctions on Russian banks, reflecting concern that a sudden halt in supplies would strain Turkey’s economy and energy system.
A Turkish source told Reuters earlier this year that Washington extended one such waiver for payments through Gazprombank until May.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long promoted the idea of turning Turkey into a regional gas hub that could blend Russian gas with other sources and resell it into Europe, a plan that requires stable long-term contracts with Ankara. The new talks described by Novak suggest Moscow hopes to lock in its position in the Turkish market even as Ankara signs more LNG deals and seeks closer energy ties with the United States.
