Energy will be central to efforts to reach the $100 billion bilateral trade goal between the United States and Türkiye, the newly appointed U.S. consul general in Istanbul, Michael Lally, said, describing Ankara as a strategic partner in expanding energy security, supply resilience and competitive pricing.
Lally said the energy sector offers practical pathways for accelerating trade growth at a time when global supply chains and market dynamics are rapidly shifting.
"We talked about how we wish to grow our trade, how we have to work towards that $100 billion goal, and the road there is energy," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of the World LNG Summit in Istanbul, adding that LNG cooperation is a key part of that effort.
Lally's remarks came a day after Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Türkiye plans to invest in U.S. gas production facilities to hedge against potential price increases on the 1,500 LNG cargoes it has agreed to buy from the U.S. over the next 15 years.
Turkish companies have already signed multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) agreements with U.S. firms. Most of the deals came shortly before President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's September talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
The U.S. became Türkiye's fourth-largest gas supplier this year at 5.5 billion cubic meters (bcm).
"We see Türkiye as a major partner in that way, providing energy security, reliability, and competitive prices in our partnership through Türkiye, using energy as a further link between our countries," said Lally.
Türkiye and the U.S. are seeking to reinvigorate a long-standing trade objective, with LNG viewed as a priority area for scaling commercial ties.
"To hedge our position and create the whole value chain, we are considering investing in the upstream U.S. market," Bayraktar said on Thursday.
State company Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is in talks with U.S. energy majors, including Chevron and Exxon and a deal could be concluded next month, he added.
Türkiye is Europe's fourth-largest natural gas market, with annual consumption of roughly 60 bcm, according to official figures. Long-term LNG contracts signed by Türkiye this year alone amount to 106 bcm.
The country has rapidly expanded its infrastructure, increasing regasification capacity fivefold to 161 million cubic meters per day and raising storage capacity to more than 6 bcm, with further expansion planned.
Turkish state gas importer BOTAŞ has signed a series of long-term contracts for LNG, much of which is from the United States, taking advantage of large global LNG supply over the next few years.
Lally said Washington and Ankara have cooperated for decades throughout the region in energy because they are natural partners, noting Türkiye's growing demands as its economy expands.
"Türkiye needs further energy resources in order to grow its economy, and the United States is there as a reliable partner that provides advantageous commercial terms and a long-term vision for that," he said.
"Türkiye's investment in its onshore infrastructure and its regasification units make it a very attractive market."
He said cooperation supports the broader goal of expanding trade while enhancing energy security and supply resilience for both countries.
Referring to what he described as an "excellent" meeting between the two countries' presidents on Sept. 25 in Washington, Lally said energy was a central theme in discussions on expanding commercial ties.
"We believe that the energy partnership is the way to go," he said. "Türkiye has always tried to position itself as a regional hub, working closely with American suppliers, not only in LNG but in all areas of energy, including infrastructure."
"That is where we want to take that decadeslong partnership forward for the future," he added.
Lally highlighted Türkiye's increasing role in supplying LNG to regional markets, citing investments in pipelines, storage capacity and regasification facilities.
He said LNG provides flexible cargoes that enable firms from both countries to cooperate bilaterally and supply energy that heats homes, powers industry and supports economic growth.
Referring to a recently signed nuclear energy agreement between Türkiye and the U.S., Lally said civil nuclear cooperation formed part of a broader long-term partnership.
"The way the civil nuclear industry works is a long-term industry," he said. "As we saw on September 25th ... we are going to be working together on all aspects of civil nuclear cooperation in order to provide the long-term power needs that Türkiye will need to power its economy."
He also pointed to a civil aviation agreement involving the delivery of Boeing aircraft to Turkish Airlines as an example of expanding private-sector engagement, adding that Washington would pursue opportunities in information technology, health care and other sectors to help meet the $100 billion target.
"We are always very happy to collaborate with our Turkish partners," he said.
