Why Did Starmer Agree To A New Deal With Turkey Despite Concerns Over Russian Oil?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after signing a deal worth up to '8 billion for 20 UK Typhoon fighter jets, the biggest fighter jet exports deal in a generation, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.Keir Starmer proudly touted his new lucrative deal with Turkey on Monday, promising it would bring thousands of jobs to the UK.Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to a new £8 billion deal to buy 20 Typhoon jets from Britain in what the UK prime minister described as a “win for British workers, a win for our defence industry and a win for Nato security”.But there have been fears about Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian administration, especially as Erdoğan’s main political opposition – Ekrem İmamoğlu – has faced fresh criminal charges, including alleged links to British intelligence.Turkey’s links to Russian oil have been a significant cause for concern, too. Here’s what you need to know.What do we know about Turkey’s purchase of Russian fossil fuels?Turkey still buys Russian oil and coal at a discounted rate – in fact, after China and India, it is the third largest buyer of Russian oil, oil products and coal in the world.It is also the third largest buyer of liquefied natural gas, after the EU and China.The volume of Russian gas that reached Europe through Turkey also rose by more than 26% earlier this year.What does this have to do with Ukraine?Considering fossil fuel exports are the Kremlin’s primary means of propping up its wartime economy, Turkey’s apparent enthusiasm for a range of Russian products has caused alarm over the years.The West has been trying to wean itself off Russian exports since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but it still has some ties.US president Donald Trump has repeatedly drawn the link between fossil fuels and the Ukraine war, and criticised European nations for importing Russian hydrocarbons almost four years after the war began.Last week, he finally imposed his first set of sanctions on Moscow since returning to office in January, punishing Russia’s two largest oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil.Trump also used a White House meeting with Erdoğan last month to advise Turkey to stop buying Russian oil.He said he would like Turkey to stop “buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine.”“The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia. If he did that, that would be the best thing,” the US president said.He also claimed Erdoğan is respected in both Ukraine and Russia – and so could have a “big influence” on the war “if he wants to”.And just last week, Starmer himself reiterated his “unwavering commitment to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression”.At a meeting of the pro-Ukraine “coalition of the willing”, Starmer stood alongside 20 other allies and promised to “choke off funding for Russia’s war machine”.So why did the UK still decide to go ahead with the new deal?Dr Simon A Bennett – director of the civil safety and security unit from the University of Leicester – told HuffPost UK: “Starmer should be encouraging existing and aspirant EU states (including Turkey) to wean themselves off Russian hydrocarbons as soon as possible.”But, he noted that they must also be trying to align Turkey with “Western social-democratic values and the West’s supranational institutions”.He said: “The Typhoon is a means to this end, as it ties Turkey into the West’s military-industrial complex and, by introducing a Nato-standard weapons platform into Turkey’s air force, helps create a more integrated and efficient Nato air force.”The prime minister’s spokesperson told journalists on Tuesday: “Every country should be doing everything they can to end their reliance on Russian oil.“We’ve been crystal clear that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.“As you’d expect, we are looking at all routes of energy and revenues into Russia and speaking to all our partners about that at every opportunity.”The spokesman insisted the UK’s support for Ukraine is “not in doubt”, adding: “We are steadfast supporting president Zelenskyy and our record speaks for itself.”HuffPost UK understands Starmer did mention Russia to his Turkish counterpart in a one-to-one meeting during his visit, but it remains unclear whether he specifically mentioned fossil fuels.Ukraine’s foreign affairs department has been approached for comment on the new deal with Turkey, too.Why might Turkey be more reluctant to cut ties with Russia?The expert pointed out that Turkey and Russia sit on opposite sides of the Black Sea.The country’s close proximity to Russia, as with many countries in eastern Europe, creates challenges such as “not antagonising a much larger and more powerful neighbour to the point where one’s territorial integrity is threatened”.Bennett said: “Turkey has managed this delicate geopolitical balancing act since the middle of the last century. This is a significant achievement.“She has kept Russia the right side of her borders while supporting the Nato alliance and aspiring to join the EU.“She has also helped bring peace – however fragile – to the Middle east, as Trump and other Western leaders have acknowledged.”Related...Zelenskyy Says 'I Will Be Waiting For Putin In Turkey'Trump And Putin Won't Attend Peace Talks With Zelenskyy In TurkeyTensions Between US And Russia Deepen As Trump's Treasury Secretary Hits Out At 'Propagandist' Envoy

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Why Did Starmer Agree To A New Deal With Turkey Despite Concerns Over Russian Oil?

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