LNG and the Turkish path to a secure and affordable energy transition

The global energy conversation is shifting from scarcity and crisis management to resilience and optionality. As the latest outlooks signal abundant LNG supply in the years ahead, the policy question is no longer only how to source more molecules but; how to build the infrastructure, commercial frameworks, and alliances that move those molecules quickly, affordably, and reliably to where they are needed. This is where Türkiye has acted early and decisively. Instead of a narrow race to add volumes, we have pursued a holistic approach that expands regasification and storage, strengthens domestic production, and diversifies long-term partnerships. Our objective is simple and measurable. Keep the lights on, keep prices competitive, and keep the net-zero 2053 transition on schedule.

Practical energy-security playbook

Türkiye’s model is increasingly recognised as the Turkish path. It is a practical energy-security playbook that complements decarbonisation, not competes with it. The lesson to take from the blackouts that struck parts of Southwest Europe in early 2025. Transition goals require back-up, flexibility, and fast-ramping supply. Gas provides the much-needed bridge. LNG makes the bridge stronger by adding supply diversity, seasonal swing coverage, and commercial flexibility.

On the domestic front, the Black Sea is the anchor. The Sakarya Gas Field, discovered in 2020, now delivers around 9.5 million cubic meters per day. That is equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 4 million households and prevents roughly 1.5 billion dollars of imports each year smaller new discoveries continue. The Göktepe-3 well added 75 billion cubic meters in 2025, bringing the year’s total to 92.4 billion cubic meters valued at about 37 billion dollars at current prices. July 2025 alone saw 288 million cubic meters of domestic output alongside 339 million cubic meters of imports, underscoring the traction of local production. Technology is multiplying that momentum. The Osman Gazi floating production unit will double output to 20 million cubic meters per day in 2026 and, with a second unit and Phase 3 subsea works including a 183-kilometer pipeline, lift capacity toward 40 million cubic meters per day by 2028.

Revolution in LNG capability

Domestic progress has been matched by a quiet revolution in LNG capability. Since 2016, Türkiye has more than quintupled daily regasification capacity from 34 million cubic meters to 161 million cubic meters. This enables us to cover up to half of national gas needs through LNG if market conditions require. It has also allowed trade with 34 countries, reducing concentration risk from any single pipeline route. The downstream network now reaches all 81 provinces. Providing affordable energy to our citizens is among the top priorities in our domestic energy policies, our social policy has supported affordability throughout this build-out, including up to 63 percent support for residential gas and up to 60 percent for low-tier electricity.

Broader transition plan

On the commercial side, Türkiye has locked in predictable, fairly priced supply while protecting flexibility. A 43 billion dollar framework with the United States helped lift US LNG to 11 percent of our imports, leveraging some of the most competitive hub-linked pricing. BOTAŞ has recently concluded a portfolio of long-term contracts that blend volume, tenor, and optionality. These include a series of contracts with numerous companies with a total volume of around 23 bcm. The long-standing accord with Algeria continues at 4.4 bcm per year. New pipeline arrangements to Syria of around 6 million cubic meters per day (2 bcm per year), and growing ties with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, with 1.3 bcm expected by year-end, reinforce our position as a reliable purchaser and connector. Price stability is a result, not a slogan. With Black Sea gas as the cheapest source, US and Turkmen volumes are the next most competitive in our basket. The combination allows both secure domestic supply and re-exports when market signals justify them.

Gas policy sits inside a broader transition plan. In the first nine months of 2025, renewables generated 125 billion kilowatt-hours and offset about 11 billion dollars in gas imports. As the Akkuyu nuclear plant comes fully online, it will displace approximately 7 bcm of gas each year. By 2035 we aim to add 120,000 megawatts from domestic and renewable sources. This will require around 110 billion dollars of investment, including 80 billion for renewables and 30 billion for transmission. The message is consistent. We are not choosing between reliability and decarbonisation. We are investing in both.

Value propositions for partners at World LNG Summit & Awards

For partners gathering at the upcoming World LNG Summit & Awards in İstanbul, Türkiye offers three concrete value propositions.

• First, infrastructure at scale. With 161 million cubic meters per day of regasification capacity, multiple FSRUs, high-capability transmission, and expanding storage, we can receive, balance, and redeliver volumes quickly. That is critical in a world where weather swings and supply shocks can still surprise markets.
• Second, bankable contracts with optionality. Our portfolio approach provides a stable base while keeping cargoes destination-flexible and schedules responsive to seasonal demand. Producers get reliable offtake and access to a dynamic regional hub. Buyers in our neighborhood get flexible coverage without taking on long, fixed obligations they do not need.
• Third, alignment with the transition. Every molecule of gas we procure is measured against the progress of our renewables and nuclear build-out. That is why efficiency, methane management, and credible emissions accounting are part of our supplier dialogue. Gas is a bridge in Türkiye, not a detour.

Keeping energy secure and affordable

The Turkish path is delivering results that are counted in cubic meters, dollars saved, and outages avoided. From the Black Sea to our LNG jetties, from regasification terminals to cross-border interconnections, Türkiye has built the capacity and the partnerships in the region to keep energy secure and affordable while advancing the transition. As global LNG supply expands, the opportunity is to turn abundance into resilience. We welcome cooperation with producers, traders, and regional buyers to use Türkiye as their preferred platform with its developed infrastructure, its institutions and people power to facilitate international LNG trade.