Türkiye may continue reducing its imports of Russian natural gas in favor of more competitive alternatives if Moscow maintains high prices, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

“The reason we are buying less gas from Russia and more from the US is very simple: it is not about politics, but price. Russian gas is too expensive,” Bayraktar said, according to Kommersant.

The minister explained that high prices are prompting Ankara to seek more affordable supplies, although Türkiye has no plans to completely abandon Russian natural gas.

He stressed that the country will continue to need Russian supplies. However, if the price gap persists, Russian gas could gradually lose its share of the Turkish market.

Bayraktar also outlined Türkiye's long-term energy outlook under its new National Energy 2040 strategy.

The minister said that the country's annual natural gas demand is projected to remain at around 57 billion cubic meters, roughly matching current consumption levels.

Without the implementation of the strategy, however, annual gas demand could rise to 77 billion cubic meters by 2040, he added.

Russia remains Türkiye's largest natural gas supplier, but its market share has declined considerably over the past two decades. While Russian gas accounted for approximately 64% of Türkiye's imports in 2006, that figure had fallen to 37% by early 2025.