Turkey’s Erdogan to discuss Russian gas supplies to Slovakia with Putin
The move comes after Ukraine shut down a pipeline that had long transited Russian gas to Central Europe.
ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he plans to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin providing natural gas to Slovakia through the TurkStream pipeline.
Ukraine declined to extend a contract to transit Russian gas to central Europe via its territory after it expired at the end of 2024, citing concerns that revenues from the transit were fueling the Kremlin’s war effort.
“Since Ukraine has cut off gas supplies to Slovakia, … I suggested that we address Slovakia's natural gas needs,” Erdogan said during a joint press conference in Ankara with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Erdogan added that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would discuss the issue with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and that he would “personally speak to President Putin” within the week.
