Turkey Turns to American Crude Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Turkey's oil imports saw a significant shift in June 2026, as the United States became its largest single source of crude oil for the month. This marked a reversal from January 2026, when Russia supplied over 38% of Turkey's total crude imports, followed closely by Iraq.

However, by June, the US had surpassed both Kazakhstan and longtime market leader Russia in crude oil imports, with 570,676 tons delivered. The country's position in the overall table remained strong, despite its ranking slipping behind the US and Kazakhstan in crude oil alone.

The war between Iran and the United States, which began on February 28, 2026, has disrupted energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for oil exports. This crisis, combined with Washington's release of crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, made US crude more competitively priced relative to global benchmarks.

Russia's own capacity to export crude has been squeezed by wartime domestic refining needs, price-cap sanctions, and narrower international payment channels for buyers, making Russian barrels harder to move. Turkish refiners TÜPRAŞ and STAR responded by activating forward purchase contracts with US producers.