Facing serious challenges in upcoming elections amid a troubled economy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has turned to Russia for help in boosting cash reserves, rehabilitating his battered image and offering consumers relief with deep cuts in the price of energy.

Talking to reporters on his way back from a Balkans tour last week, Erdoğan revealed ongoing negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a discount on the price of natural gas. “Russia hasn’t imposed any sanctions on us. I had a talk with him about the price [of gas deliveries],” he told reporters. “If he approaches this positively, then this would be the ‘crème de la crème’ because our goal is to provide as much electricity and natural gas as possible to our citizens under more favorable terms.”

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Erdoğan’s popularity has been declining in Turkey, and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has lost significant support according to polls, mainly stemming from soaring inflation and high unemployment, especially among young people, and rising food and energy prices. His first priority is to stop Russia from cutting gas supplies to Turkey as Putin did to Europe, and more importantly to obtain concessions from Moscow for a discounted price while Moscow looks ways to beat Western sanctions.

Read more: Nordic Monitor