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Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Wednesday that state-run BOTAS and Swiss-based energy firm Mercuria have signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) import agreement in New York, providing for annual deliveries of around 4 billion cubic meters starting in 2026 and a total supply of nearly 70 billion cubic meters.
Bayraktar said the deal was signed in New York and will be among the topics raised during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. In a message shared on social media, the minister described the contract as a milestone for Türkiye’s energy policy.
The LNG will be sourced not only from loading terminals in the United States but also through regasification facilities in Türkiye, Europe, and North Africa, the minister added.
The agreement's total worth tops $43 billion, which is expected to run until 2045, and will involve annual LNG imports valued at around $2.15 billion, according to information obtained by Turkish columnist Vahap Munyar from sources related to the matter.
Officials involved in the talks said the arrangement would serve as a central pillar of Türkiye’s long-term energy security strategy, while also contributing to the $100 billion bilateral trade target set by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump, Munyar wrote in his column for business-focused ekonomim.com.
Industry sources noted that the agreement reflects the steady rise of U.S. participation in Türkiye’s energy imports, as older "take-or-pay" oil and gas contracts with Russia and Iran approach expiration. A "take-or-pay" contract is a long-term supply deal that requires the buyer to either purchase a set volume of gas or pay for it even if it is not taken, a model Türkiye has used in pipeline agreements with Russia and Iran that are due to expire in 2026.
Bayraktar also announced that Türkiye signed a preliminary agreement with Australian company Woodside Energy for a long-term LNG supply contract, set to begin in 2030 and last for nine years. The deal covers the delivery of around 5.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas equivalent in LNG, primarily sourced from the Louisiana LNG Project in the United States, to state-run energy firm BOTAS.
Türkiye has accelerated its shift toward LNG in recent years as part of efforts to diversify supply. In the first half of 2025, LNG accounted for 32% of total natural gas imports, up from 28% a year earlier. The country imported 9.47 billion cubic meters of LNG during that period.
Earlier this month, state-owned energy company BOTAS signed supply deals with global energy majors Shell, BP, and Eni at the Gastech 2025 Forum in Milan. Those agreements totaled over 15 billion cubic meters.
As an energy-dependent country, Türkiye recorded an annualized energy deficit of $49.19 billion in July, out of $64.95 billion in total imports, making it one of the largest contributors to the current account deficit.
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