Türkiye pushes for US sanctions waiver renewal to maintain Russian gas flow

Türkiye is seeking to extend a US waiver from sanctions that would allow it to maintain its purchases of Russian natural gas, according to Turkish officials familiar with the matter.

The waiver, which was granted in December, pertains to Gazprombank JSC, a key entity for energy payments, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

While Türkiye has not officially disclosed when the exemption expires, the officials noted that it is set to end on March 20, just a week away, and Ankara is working to secure an extension. They requested anonymity as the details are not public.

Last year, more than 45% of Türkiye's natural gas imports came from Russia, based on data from the national energy regulator and Bloomberg calculations. These supplies have been vital during the unusually cold winter and are expected to remain crucial in the summer, as hydropower production is anticipated to decrease.

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek is due to hold a call this week with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to request the extension, the officials added.

The US imposed sanctions on Gazprombank in November, aiming to curb Russia’s revenue from gas sales. However, exemptions were granted to major importers such as Türkiye and Hungary.

Neither Türkiye's Treasury and Finance Ministry nor the Energy Ministry offered comment on the matter, and the US Treasury did not respond immediately to an out-of-hours inquiry.

By Aghakazim Guliyev