Anadolu: Qatar-Türkiye gas pipeline back on agenda after Assad regime's overthrow

The Qatar-Türkiye gas pipeline, discussions of which were suspended in 2009, may once again be back on the agenda following the overthrow of the Assad regime.

According to researcher Büşra Zeynep Özdemir from SETA think tank, this project will not face any political obstacles in the region if stability is achieved in Syria, Caliber.Az reports via Anadolu.

However, she points out that the long distance of the pipeline makes the project expensive, stressing that gas prices on the international market will be crucial to its implementation.

"In the scenario agreed upon by EU member states, where coal-fired power plants in the EU and Türkiye will be replaced with natural gas power plants, and the consumption of household and industrial gas will rise, there is a high likelihood that Qatari gas will find buyers," Özdemir added.

In addition, Anne-Sophie Corbeau, an expert at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, highlighted several factors complicating the launch of the project: Syria is still far from stable, and another issue is whether Saudi Arabia will allow the pipeline to pass through its territory.

Corbeau, highlighting that many countries will still need natural gas by 2050, emphasized that pipelines, unlike LNG, are a solution that, once built, require long-term commitment.

She pointed out that Syria is still far from being stable, and regardless of gas demand, this is significant for the region. "Meanwhile, US LNG exporters are also trying to sell LNG to the European market. So, it’s a race. Whether Saudi Arabia will allow such a pipeline to pass through the country is another issue."

According to her, if Turkish players are willing to sign these agreements, then the situation changes.

"They have fewer concerns about Türkiye's gas demand and are happy to diversify their sources," she said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev