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Türkiye more than doubled its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in April, boosting its share of total gas purchases to roughly one-fifth as the country stepped up efforts to diversify supply sources and replenish stocks amid uncertainty surrounding the Iran war.
The country imported 4.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas in April, up 16.5% from 4 billion cubic meters a year earlier. LNG led the increase, with imports soaring 102.6% year-on-year to 819.9 million cubic meters from 404.7 million cubic meters.
As a result, LNG's share of total gas imports climbed to 17.3% from 10% a year earlier, according to the official figures.
The United States emerged as Türkiye's largest LNG supplier in April, shipping 378.6 million cubic meters, up 278.7% from a year earlier.
The volume accounted for 46.2% of Türkiye's LNG imports and 8% of its total natural gas imports during the month.
Algeria followed with 370 million cubic meters, marking a 21.4% increase, while Mauritania entered the supply mix with 71.3 million cubic meters.
Pipeline gas imports, by comparison, rose 7% year-on-year. Russia remained Türkiye's largest overall gas supplier, delivering 2 billion cubic meters and accounting for 41.6% of total imports.
Azerbaijan supplied 996.7 million cubic meters, while imports from Iran rose 33.7% year-on-year to 945.3 million cubic meters, increasing the country's share of Türkiye's total gas imports to nearly 20%.
The sharp rise in imports also drove a significant buildup in gas inventories, leaving Türkiye better positioned to weather the current period of regional uncertainty.
Natural gas stocks stood at 4.1 billion cubic meters at the end of April, up 67.1% from 2.5 billion cubic meters a year earlier. Underground storage holdings rose 67.5% to 3.9 billion cubic meters, while inventories at LNG terminals increased 63.2% to 300.2 million cubic meters.
Once heavily reliant on pipeline supplies from Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan, Ankara has spent years expanding LNG import and storage capacity to bolster energy security.
The push gained momentum as several major gas contracts neared expiry, prompting state-owned BOTAS to secure new LNG supplies from a wider range of global producers.
In 2024 and 2025, BOTAS signed a series of long-term agreements with companies including ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies.
According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, the deals secured more than 20 billion cubic meters of LNG supply annually, helping diversify Türkiye's import portfolio and reduce its reliance on traditional pipeline suppliers ahead of key contract renewals.
The strategy also supports Ankara's broader ambition to turn Türkiye into a regional gas trading hub.
By combining pipeline supplies from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran with growing LNG imports from global producers, policymakers aim to create a more flexible gas market capable of serving both domestic demand and regional trading opportunities.
Between January and April, Türkiye imported 4.6 billion cubic meters of LNG, up 31.5% from a year earlier. The country also ranked among the top five destinations for U.S. LNG exports during the period, Reuters reported.
Türkiye's LNG imports climbed to 17.1 billion cubic meters in 2025, an increase of 23.5% from the previous year.
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