OUR Turkey started paying part natural gas which imports from Russia in rublesThis was stated by the Minister of Energy of Turkey. Fatih Domez.

In an interview with the TRT Haber network, Mr. Donmez also noted that the share of Russian natural gas that will be paid in rubles will increase in the coming months.

Moscow, which has come under Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine, is asking energy buyers to pay in rubles to help strengthen the Russian currency. Most international energy transactions are carried out in dollars or euros.

Turkey is also trying to boost the Turkish lira trade, which has been hurt by the unorthodox monetary policy of the Turkish leadership.

Ankara and Moscow agreed in September to begin payments in rubles for natural gas supplies.

Answering a question about Vladimir Putin’s proposal to create a gas hub in Turkey, Fatih Donmez said that by the end of the year Ankara would prepare a roadmap and possibly organize an international conference for suppliers and buyers.

“We can organize an international gas conference, maybe in January or February, to bring gas suppliers and buyers together, get their opinion and act accordingly,” he said.

Last month, Putin proposed Turkey as a base for natural gas exports, launching an alternative route after the devastation caused by the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea. Tayyip Erdogan agreed with this idea.

The European Union, which used to rely on Russia for 40% of its natural gas needs, is seeking to shed its energy dependence on Russia in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

^{According to REUTERS}