Turkey’s BOTAŞ signs liquefied natural gas pact with Germany’s SEFE and Italy’s ENI as Ankara seeks diverse gas supplies before Russian contracts expire.
BOTAŞ General Manager Abdulvahit Fidan, SEFE Vice President Jean Manuel Conil- Lacoste, and ENI Global Natural Gas and LNG Portfolio Director Cristian Signoretto signed the agreements at the World LNG Summit in Istanbul.
According to Energy and Natural coffers Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, contracts signed since September 2024 have increased the total to below 155 billion boxy measures. In 2025, Turkey attained long- term LNG force deals totaling 106 billion boxy measures. In 2025, Turkey obtained long-term LNG supply deals totaling 106 billion cubic meters. He explained that the new agreements are a part of a larger initiative to get supply at more competitive costs than pipeline gas.
According to the agreements, starting in 2028, SEFE would provide Turkey with 6 billion cubic meters of LNG across ten winter seasons. Beginning that year, ENI will supply 5 billion cubic meters over a ten-year period. As part of its global LNG development, ENI independently confirmed that its agreement with BOTAŞ will go into force in 2028.
Less than 40% of Turkey's gas demands were met by Russia in 2025, compared to more than 50% in 2018, making it the country's largest single supplier. Under contracts with Gazprom whose initial terms expire on December 31, 2025, Turkey imports 22 billion cubic meters annually.
Reuters reports that BOTAŞ and Gazprom have previously reached an agreement for a temporary one-year extension for 2026 that covers about the same volume.
Although the difference varies depending on contract terms and worldwide pricing, Russian pipeline gas is typically thought to be 30 to 50 percent less expensive than LNG. Transport, regasification, and liquefaction are fresh charges associated with LNG. Turkey used over 50 billion boxy measures of natural gas in 2024. Depending on request conditions, economists predict that switching a sizable knob of that consumption from Russian channel gas to LNG may increase Turkey's monthly energy expenditure by $5 billion to $10 billion. These figures aren't exact vaccinations; rather, they represent profitable approximations.
The aim for diversification coincides with growing pressure from the US and the EU on Ankara to reduce its energy cooperation with Moscow.
According to US media sources, the US has sanctioned Gazprombank, the primary conduit for Turkey's gas payments, and American officials have asked Turkey to cut back on its imports. Turkey cannot suddenly stop importing from Russia, according to Bayraktar, who told reporters in October that the nation has legally binding agreements and requires enough supplies for the winter.
Additionally, Turkey is establishing itself as a regional gas hub for Ukraine and Southeast Europe. Turkey wants to have a maximum export capability of roughly 10 billion cubic meters, Bayraktar told Middle East Eye. The connection with Bulgaria, which transports 3.5 billion cubic meters, is a bottleneck, he claimed, and increasing it would facilitate flows to Europe.
Turkey can regasify 32 billion cubic meters annually, and by 2026, there will probably be an extra 10 to 15 billion cubic meters available. Ankara intends to expand its fleet of three floating storage regasification units by two.
According to Bayraktar, Turkey has discussed upstream gas developments in the US with Exxon and Chevron. According to current agreements, Turkey anticipates receiving over 1,500 LNG shipments from the United States over the next ten to fifteen years.
In recent years, BOTAŞ has considerably increased the range of LNG supplies it offers. Beginning in 2026, a 20-year contract with Mercuria that was announced in September will provide roughly 4 billion cubic meters annually.
How will these LNG deals affect Turkey's gas import mix by 2028?
The new LNG deals with SEFE( 6 bcm over 10 downtime seasons from 2028) and Eni( 5 bcm over the same period) will significantly diversify Turkey's gas import blend by 2028, reducing reliance on channel inventories from Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan amid expiring contracts.
Combined with previous deals (e.g., 15 bcm secured 2026- 2028 from Shell/ BP/ Eni/ Cheniere/ Jera/ Mercuria), LNG significances domestic product (e.g., Sakarya field ramp- up to 15 bcm/ time) are read to exceed 26 bcm annually by 2028 covering> 50 of Turkey's 53 bcm demand( over from 15 bcm in 2025).
Pipeline significance dropped to 26 bcm( from current 41 bcm), shrinking Russia Iran/ Azerbaijan dominance( presently 75% of force) as LNG provides inflexibility/ competitive pricing. Enhanced 58 bcm regasification capacity enables re-exports( e.g., to Hungary/ Romania), situating Turkey as a Eurasian gas trading mecca while maintaining some Russian overflows for economics.