Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Ankara may find alternatives to buying Russian oil and gas as bilateral relations deteriorate over the downing of a Russian warplane.
Erdogan said in a televised speech on December 5 that "it is possible to find different suppliers," apparently referring to countries such as Qatar and Azerbaijan.
Erdogan had visited Qatar this week where he agreed to a deal for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also traveled to Azerbaijan where he reportedly discussed energy supplies.
Reports said Turkey had also discussed buying LNG from the United States and Algeria.
The shooting down of a Russian warplane by a Turkish fighter jet near the Syrian border on November 24 has plunged Moscow-Ankara relations to a level not seen since the Cold War.
Turkey is extremely dependent on foreign sources for its energy needs, with some 91 percent of its oil and 98.5 percent of its natural gas coming from abroad, which the majority of its energy coming from Russia.
