India has emerged as an important diesel supplier to Turkey, with Turkish imports of Indian diesel reaching a record level in August 2026 as disruptions affected fuel supplies from Russia and the Middle East.
Turkey imported more than 1,20,000 barrels per day (bpd) of diesel from India in August, the highest monthly level recorded in Kpler’s data since 2017, according to India Today.
The increase comes despite ongoing political and diplomatic differences between India and Turkey. Turkey has close strategic ties with Pakistan and strongly supported Islamabad during Operation Sindoor in 2025. Turkey has also joined Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the Mecca Defence Alliance, a strategic defence partnership.
India Steps Up as an Alternative Supplier
Indian diesel shipments to Turkey crossed 1,20,000 bpd in August, compared with around 90,000 bpd from the US. Both figures were the highest monthly levels recorded in Kpler’s database since 2017.
At the same time, Turkish imports of Russian diesel fell sharply. Imports from Russia dropped to around 80,000 bpd in August, compared with more than 2,00,000 bpd earlier this year.
Energy economist Anas Alhajji also highlighted the rise in India’s petroleum product exports to Turkey, saying shipments had increased nearly five times year-on-year in August. He said Reliance accounted for most of the shipments.
Russia had traditionally been Turkey’s main diesel supplier. Data from Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority, cited by India Today, showed that Russia supplied around 281,000 bpd, or about 85% of Turkey’s diesel imports, in 2025.
Russian supplies later declined to around 1,00,000 bpd in July and 80,000 bpd in August, reducing Russia’s share to about 20% of Turkey’s diesel imports in August.
Disruptions Affect Fuel Supplies
The change in Turkey’s fuel suppliers comes as traditional supply routes face disruptions.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have affected domestic fuel supplies in Russia, leading Moscow to restrict diesel exports.
Meanwhile, damage to refineries in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have tightened global supplies of refined fuels. Pressure from the US on countries buying Russian oil may also have encouraged Turkey to look for other suppliers.
Why India Can Export Diesel
Although India imports most of its crude oil, the country has a large refining capacity. Indian refiners can buy crude from global markets, process it into products such as diesel and petrol, and export them depending on international demand, prices and shipping costs.
India’s petroleum exports increased 46% year-on-year between April and August 2026, according to Crisil Intelligence. During the same period, total merchandise exports rose 18.8%, while non-oil exports increased 14.4%.
India’s growing role in refined fuel exports is also linked to its increased purchases of Russian crude since 2022. Indian refiners process imported crude into refined products that can then be sold in international markets.
Kpler data showed India’s Russian crude imports at 2.73 million bpd in June and an estimated 2.57 million bpd in July.
The US also recorded a monthly high in diesel shipments to Turkey, reaching around 90,000 bpd in August.
The shift shows how disruptions in Russia and the Middle East are changing global refined-fuel trade, with India becoming an increasingly important supplier to countries looking for alternative sources of diesel.
