NEW YORK (Dispatches) -- Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that state-run BOTAS and Swiss-based energy firm Mercuria have signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) import agreement in New York, providing for annual deliveries of around 4 billion cubic meters starting in 2026 and a total supply of nearly 70 billion cubic meters.
Bayraktar said the deal was signed in New York and would be among the topics raised during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. In a message shared on social media, the minister described the contract as a milestone for Turkey’s energy policy.
The LNG will be sourced not only from loading terminals in the United States but also through re-gasification facilities in Turkey, Europe, and North Africa, the minister added.
The agreement’s total worth tops $43 billion, which is expected to run until 2045, and will involve annual LNG imports valued at around $2.15 billion, according to information obtained by Turkish columnist Vahap Munyar from sources related to the matter.
Officials involved in the talks said the arrangement would serve as a central pillar of Turkey’s long-term energy security strategy, while also contributing to the $100 billion bilateral trade target set by Erdogan and Trump.
Industry sources noted that the agreement reflects the steady rise of U.S. participation in Turkey’s energy imports, as older “take-or-pay” oil and gas contracts with Russia and Iran approach expiration. 
A “take-or-pay” contract is a long-term supply deal that requires the buyer to either purchase a set volume of gas or pay for it even if it is not taken, a model Turkey has used in pipeline agreements with Russia and Iran that are due to expire in 2026.
Bayraktar also announced that Turkey signed a preliminary agreement with Australian company Woodside Energy for a long-term LNG supply contract, set to begin in 2030 and last for nine years. 
The deal covers the delivery of around 5.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas equivalent in LNG, primarily sourced from the Louisiana LNG Project in the United States, to state-run energy firm BOTAS.