Turkey cut imports from Russia by nearly 23% in 2026: what we know
3 May 11:18
The volume of Russian imports to Turkey from January to April 2026 fell by $3.5 billion (€3 billion), representing a 22.8 percent decline. This was stated by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat at a press conference, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
“The country with the largest decline in imports was the Russian Federation,” the Turkish minister stated.
According to the data presented, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked second in terms of the volume of import reductions to Turkey—by $835 million—while Bolivia ranked third, having reduced imports to the country almost entirely—by $429 million, or 98.6%. The decline in goods shipments from Italy and France was also significant: by $405 million (7.8%) and $295 million (6.7%), respectively.
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At the same time, according to the Turkish Ministry, the largest increase in Turkey’s imports came from China—an increase of $1.8 billion. Growth in imports was also recorded from the United States, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and Mexico.
Reuters: Turkey Buys Less Oil from Russia Following U.S. Sanctions
Turkish oil refineries have begun purchasing more oil from Iraq and Kazakhstan, Reuters reported on November 2, 2025, citing informed sources in the country. This occurred shortly after the U.S., the European Union, and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions against the Russian oil sector due to Moscow’s continuation of the war in Ukraine. Since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, there have been no updates to the Turkish government’s official data on purchases.
Along with China and India, Turkey is one of the few major buyers of Russian oil and gas. In 2025, the country’s Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, stated that Ankara would continue to purchase natural gas from Russia, despite the U.S. call to stop importing Russian energy resources. “We cannot tell our citizens that there is no gas,” he argued in support of his decision.
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