Türkiye-US Energy Ties Strengthen with Nuclear Pact and Long-Term LNG Deal

Experts suggest that new agreements between Türkiye and the United States in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear energy are poised to strengthen their strategic energy partnership.

The Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation Memorandum, signed last month, aims to advance civilian nuclear technology and regulatory collaboration, The Caspian Post reports citing Turkish media.

Meanwhile, state-owned BOTAŞ inked a long-term deal with a U.S. LNG exporter to supply about 4 billion cubic meters of American LNG annually starting in 2026.

Brigham McCown, senior fellow and director of the Initiative on American Energy Security at the Hudson Institute, told state-run Anadolu Agency that both pacts hold strategic value for energy security and economic ties.

Describing the nuclear agreement as "a strategic move aimed at diversifying Türkiye's energy mix away from unstable suppliers," McCown said it would expand the U.S. nuclear export market and create jobs in America.

"The agreement aims to strengthen civil nuclear cooperation within strict non-proliferation rules. It addresses Türkiye's growing energy demand through technology sharing, fuel security and regulatory alignment. For the U.S., it advances the nuclear export market, translating into jobs at home. It also diversifies Türkiye's energy sources from Russia, bolstering NATO's southeastern flank," he added.

"In the short term, the focus will be on workforce training, regulatory cooperation and eventually new U.S. reactors. This could also include SMR [Small Modular Reactor] pilot programs. Technology transfers are always sensitive, so it will be interesting to see how the details shape up," he said.