Türkiye Rejects Trump’s Demand to Halt Russian Oil Imports

Türkiye has rejected Trump’s demands to cease imports of Russian oil. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the Turkish government has no plans to issue mandatory directives to private oil companies regarding their sources of energy supplies.

“To date, the private sector has independently made decisions on this matter, as these are commercial choices made by companies, distributors, and refineries based on their own considerations,” Bayraktar explained.

Additionally, Türkiye will continue to purchase Russian natural gas. The Energy Minister emphasized that the government cannot leave its citizens without fuel as winter approaches. “We can’t inform our citizens that there is no gas. We have agreements with Russia, and winter is coming,” he noted.

Bayraktar also mentioned that supplies from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are available as alternative sources.