Turkey, Russia gas ties grow contentious amid Ukraine war
Russian gas giant Gazprom’s sudden “maintenance" shutdown of a major pipeline carrying gas to Turkey coincided with the talks over Finland's and Sweden’s NATO membership bids.
![Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks as he attends the inauguration ceremony of new gas pipeline, TurkStream.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2022-07/GettyImages-1192547964.jpeg?h=8dfd537e&itok=yyn2Ufzk)
ISTANBUL — With Russian gas giant Gazprom this week again slashing its gas exports to Europe and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accusing Moscow of "blackmail," Turkey — as a non-EU state — may appear at first glance to be safely insulated from what many in Turkey view as a purely European problem.
The reality is that Turkish-Russian energy ties have been marked by frequent and sometimes highly confrontational disputes, as Russia’s recent cut of gas flow to Turkey — in what experts say was on unprecedentedly short notice — has provided rare insight into the nature of the complex relationship.