Turkey complains Russian gas too expensive in possible discount bid

Turkey aims to reduce its Russian gas imports primarily due to cost, not geopolitical issues, according to Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. He indicated that the high prices from Russia are driving Turkey to seek cheaper alternatives, particularly from the U.S. Analysts suggest this could be a strategy to negotiate better prices with Russia while maintaining ties. Turkey's energy dependence on Russia remains significant, with a large portion of its gas, oil, and coal sourced from there. Despite Western sanctions on Russian energy, Turkey has not imposed similar measures and continues to collaborate with Russia on energy projects, including a nuclear power plant.