Qatar refutes claims of gas pipeline through Syria to Europe

Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, has dismissed rumours about supplying gas to Europe via Syria and Türkiye, calling them media speculation.

"It’s just media speculation," he said, responding to a question about Doha's stance on a potential gas pipeline through Syria to Türkiye for European deliveries, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"We in Qatar are fully committed to supporting the Syrian people in terms of humanitarian and technical aid, such as with the Damascus International Airport, and also discussing all forms of technical assistance for infrastructure recovery. On an economic level, as far as gas supplies are concerned, we have nothing to say on this matter," he added.

Al-Ansari further noted that Doha is currently focused on "maintaining stability" in Syria and "meeting the needs of the Syrian people."

Following the change in Syria's leadership in December 2023, several media outlets reported on the possible revival of a project to build a gas pipeline from Qatar to Türkiye via Syria and other Arab countries for gas deliveries to Europe.

The idea of a Qatar-Türkiye pipeline had been under discussion since 2009, but its implementation, according to Ankara, was delayed due to opposition from the former Syrian authorities.

To recall, on January 4, Türkiye's Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar, stated that Qatari gas could be supplied to Europe via Türkiye, provided a secure transportation system is created and stability is ensured in Syria and the region.

Qatar ranks third in the world for natural gas reserves and sixth for production. According to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Qatar became the third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in November 2024, after the United States and Australia.

By Aghakazim Guliyev