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Turkey Plans Energy Deals With US as Erdogan Courts Trump

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey plans to sign new energy deals with the US as early as next week, as it seeks to strengthen ties with Washington from commodities to defense.

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The agreements could include pledges to buy more US liquefied natural gas, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing the plans.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also seeking a meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week, the people said. Turkey’s Energy Ministry declined to comment.

The diplomatic and trade push comes as Turkey tries to reset relations with the US after years of strain over the purchase of Russian arms and conflicting stances on Syria’s civil war.

It also follows Trump’s move to pressure NATO allies like Ankara to stop buying Russian oil. Turkey has become one of the biggest importers of Russian crude even as it supplies Ukraine with drones and artillery shells. Erdogan has refrained from sanctioning Russia and tried to broker a peace between the warring parties.

Turkey’s energy mix increasingly represents a similar balancing act. Moscow remains its biggest gas supplier, providing about 41% of imports last year, according to Turkish regulator data.

But the US has become its top source of seaborne supply, with volumes almost doubling from 2020-2024 and set to grow further after a string of deals signed at a conference last week. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also discussed LNG with US oil and gas majors ConocoPhillips and Chevron Corp during the event.

In nuclear, Turkey is relying on Russia to build its first nuclear power plant while inviting US companies to invest in small modular reactors, which are quicker to build than regular facilities but aren’t yet widely available.