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ANKARA, April 28Gas supply deals with Russia helped Turkey avoid the energy crisis that has gripped the West, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, as reported by the Financial Times.
According to the publication, Russia, which remains the largest supplier of natural gas to Turkey, accounted for more than 40% of its consumption last year in 2023.
Turkey is also trying to do everything to expand the infrastructure for receiving and storing gas, the publication notes.
According to Bayraktar, Turkey is developing infrastructure for receiving and storing liquefied natural gas. In 2023, this type of fuel accounted for about 30% of imports, compared with only 15% nine years earlier.
Meanwhile, Ankara is seeking to find new suppliers of natural gas before contracts with Russia and Iran expire in 2025-2026 years, the minister noted. 
According to him According to him, the conversation could be about Azerbaijan or LNG, and Ankara will primarily focus on the cost of fuel.
The newspaper also reported, citing Bayraktar, that Turkey is negotiating with the American ExxonMobil on the purchase of LNG, expecting to receive up to 2.5 million tons per year, which will cost about 1.1 billion dollars.