European Nations Request Non-Russian Gas Supply from Turkey

European countries have approached Turkish authorities with a request to supply gas. However, there is one condition: the gas must not be of Russian origin. At the same time, Ankara cannot clearly determine the source of the liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar during a broadcast on AHaber.

He explained that LNG enters gas pipelines from different sources, making it impossible to specify which country it was produced in. For this reason, fulfilling Europe’s demand is challenging, the Turkish minister stated.

“This is a commercial and legal issue. As suppliers, we are obligated to provide documents confirming the origin of the gas,” announced Alparslan Bayraktar.

The energy minister also mentioned that European countries are hoping to receive gas from Turkey's offshore fields in the Black Sea. He reminded the European Union that Turkey itself consumes significant volumes of this resource, complicating the situation.

EU countries have faced a record gas shortage this year. At the start of the heating season, the level of gas storage filled has dropped to 57%. According to Bloomberg, reserves have reached their lowest level since 2009.

One of the reasons for the crisis is the escalation of situations in the Middle East. Since April, there has been a sharp decline in liquefied natural gas imports for EU countries. Supplies have also been affected by the situation created in the Strait of Hormuz.

The European Commission noted that the fuel shortage is expected to be compensated by increasing the import reserve capacities of LNG. In July, the EU reduced its LNG imports to nearly their lowest level in the past two years. Data from the Gas Infrastructure Europe association shows that supplies from LNG terminals to the EU gas transport network have decreased by 26% year-on-year, amounting to about 8.4 billion cubic meters. Such volumes were last recorded in September 2024.

Alparslan Bayraktar pointed out that Ankara also faces challenges related to gas. He stated that the construction of the Turkish Stream pipeline in cooperation with Russia was a strategically significant decision for Turkey. The minister emphasized that despite developments occurring worldwide, Turkey's energy security remains stable.