*

Turkey has sealed a series of LNG deals this month

*

Gas supply deals with Russia end this year, no new deal

yet

*

Trump pressing Europe to halt Russia energy purchases

*

Erdogan to meet Trump on Thursday

(Adds other deals, Erdogan to meet Trump, background)

By Can Sezer and Daren Butler

ISTANBUL, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Turkey has signed a

20-year deal with trading company Mercuria to buy U.S. liquefied

natural gas, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on

Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for Europe to

halt Russian energy purchases.

The deal comes ahead of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's

meeting with Trump on Thursday.

Russia is Turkey's largest supplier of gas imports, although

Ankara has diversified in recent years. The new deal is one of

several it has secured this month ahead of this year's expiry of

at least 16 billion cubic metres worth of gas import deals with

Russia.

The European Union plans to ban Russian LNG imports into the

bloc by the end of 2026 under its latest package of sanctions

against Moscow, as Trump presses it to play a more robust role

in helping end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Turkey has not yet agreed new supply deals with Russia.

State energy company BOTAS signed the latest deal in New

York during Erdogan's visit, agreeing the annual supply of 4 bcm

of LNG to Turkey from 2026, with a total supply of some 70 bcm

envisaged.

Supplies will be sourced from loading terminals in the U.S.

and regasification facilities in Turkey, Europe, and North

Africa.

"This agreement will significantly contribute to the $100

billion trade volume target with the U.S.," Bayraktar said,

adding that the deal aimed to enhance supply security and

diversify Turkey's energy sources.

BOTAS also signed a long-term preliminary LNG deal with

Woodside Energy ( WDS ), Australia's top gas producer,

a Turkish Energy Ministry statement said.

That agreement provides for the supply of some 5.8 bcm of

LNG to BOTAS for nine years, starting in 2030, mostly from

Woodside's Louisiana LNG project.

Russia supplied 40% of Turkey's 52 bcm of gas imports last

year. The U.S. was Turkey's fifth largest supplier, slightly

behind Algeria, providing 10% of gas imports.

The energy deals come as Turkey moves to improve ties with

Washington. On Monday, Ankara said it had lifted retaliatory

tariffs imposed in 2018 on a range of U.S. imports, including

passenger cars and fruit. The decision was seen as a gesture of

goodwill ahead of Erdogan's meeting with Trump.

BOTAS is responsible for Turkey's oil and gas infrastructure

and gas trade. Mercuria is one of the world's largest energy and

commodity groups.