United States becomes top crude oil supplier to Turkey

Turkey is experiencing a significant shift in its energy supply chain, with the United States emerging as a primary supplier of crude oil and natural gas, displacing Russia.

According to data from the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), the United States became Turkey's top crude oil importer in June. After recording zero imports from the U.S. in the first four months of the year, the share rose to 13% in May and reached 21% in June, with 570,676 tons of crude oil imported. This shift follows previous changes in the natural gas market where the U.S. also overtook Russia as a major partner.

The shift extends to diesel fuel as well; following Russian export restrictions in July, the U.S. became the third-largest diesel supplier to Turkey in August, trailing only India and Italy.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar noted the country's high level of external dependency, stating, “Today we import two out of every three units of energy.” Total energy import costs have continued to rise, reaching $40.086 billion for the period of January to July, a 7.2% increase compared to the previous year.