ANKARA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has agreed to extend its natural gas import contract with Russia for one year while simultaneously exploring potential energy investments with the United States, the local Hurriyet Daily News newspaper quoted Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar as saying on Thursday.
Bayraktar confirmed that the Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation "has completed the renewal" with Russia's Gazprom, saying that two major contracts, covering roughly 22 billion cubic meters of gas and set to expire at the end of this year, will be renewed on a short-term basis.
"Russian gas will keep flowing next year, but we are prioritizing short-term arrangements, essentially one-year extensions," he added.
The official also highlighted Türkiye's growing liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases, noting that a significant share now comes from the United States. This shift, he said, has prompted Ankara to consider upstream energy investments in the U.S. market as a hedging strategy.
Bayraktar said Türkiye expects approximately 1,500 LNG cargoes from the United States over the next 10 to 15 years, most tied to the Henry Hub price index.
He revealed ongoing discussions involving the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and major U.S. energy firms, including Chevron and Exxon, saying that some agreements could be announced as early as next month.
Despite years of Western sanctions on Moscow due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Türkiye remains Russia's significant natural gas market in Europe. ■