Turkey Diversifies Oil Imports, Shifting from Russia to US and India

In recent months, Turkey has been diversifying its sources of crude oil and diesel imports, gradually replacing Russian supplies with those from other countries such as the United States and India. According to recent customs data from Turkey’s Ministry of Customs, in June this year, the U.S. surpassed Russia as the main supplier of crude oil for the country, with approximately 570,000 tonnes compared to around 425,000 from Russia. This shift reflects the operational challenges faced by Russia's energy industry due to Ukrainian aerial and missile strikes on its infrastructure, as well as Turkey’s strategic move to diversify its sources of energy. Additionally, data from Kpler indicate that since August this year, Turkey has imported more than 120,000 barrels per day of diesel from India and around 90,000 barrels per day from the U.S., volumes that are the highest on record since 2017. This diversification is driven by a combination of factors: political pressure from the Trump administration to increase American imports, Ukrainian aerial strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, and supply disruptions in Arab territories due to the conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran. Such shifts in energy sources reflect the growing volatility of the global oil market and the security challenges faced by various countries amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East.