The first deliveries in May will suit President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On May 14 there will be presidential elections in which he hopes to be re-elected, but his popularity has decreased, also due to high inflation and the fall in the lira. Donmez hinted that Erdogan would like to do something about high energy bills before the election.
It depends on the import
Turkey depends on imported oil and gas for a lot of energy. These are often paid for in dollars and euros and have become even more expensive for Turkey due to the weak lira than just rising prices on the world market. About a third of Turkish gas imports come from Russia.
Turkey is also looking for gas in the Mediterranean. The country does this in waters near Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. Turkish gas exploration has caused tensions with EU countries Cyprus and Greece in recent years.