Turkey halts Turkmen gas imports via Iran under US pressure

Turkey had to stop gas imports from Turkmenistan through Iran due to US pressure, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar revealed on Thursday during a briefing with journalists.

Ankara began receiving gas from Turkmenistan in March 2025 under a deal to supply 1.3 billion cubic metres annually using Iranian infrastructure. Turkish gas importer Botas had an import licence for the arrangement valid until 2033.

However, Ashgabat cut the flow of gas in October 2025, saying the two countries had a short-term contract and that, without an agreement on volumes or prices, it could not sell gas to Ankara.

Bayraktar said earlier this year that Ankara had planned to resume gas imports from Turkmenistan via Iran, but those plans did not materialise.