Turkish official: Azerbaijani gas to deliver long-awaited electricity to Syria Photo

Azerbaijan’s gas supplies are set to bring long-awaited electricity to the Syrian population, Turkish Deputy President Cevdet Yılmaz said on August 21.

Speaking at the launch of the social initiative Cep Kitapları (“Pocket Books”), organised by SOCAR Türkiye and the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), Yılmaz described the energy support as a vital humanitarian step and a boost to regional energy security, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Yılmaz noted that the start of gas deliveries to Syria was made possible through close coordination between Ankara and Baku. He described collaboration between the two “brotherly nations” as crucial for ensuring energy security, which underpins the prosperity of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and the wider region.

Highlighting major energy projects including Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan, Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum pipelines, and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), Yılmaz also pointed to SOCAR’s investment of over $18 billion in Türkiye, making it one of the country’s top foreign investors.

He added that SOCAR Türkiye is considering an additional $7 billion investment in Türkiye’s petrochemical sector. The Deputy President said such initiatives support Türkiye’s macroeconomic stability and align with government plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2053.

He also welcomed the expansion of electricity flows between the two countries and praised the Cep Kitapları project for contributing to literacy and culture in Türkiye.

SOCAR Türkiye CEO Elchin Ibadov and ODTÜ Rector Professor Ahmet Yozgatlıgil also spoke at the event.

Azerbaijan began delivering natural gas to Syria via Türkiye on August 2, 2025. The inauguration ceremony took place in the Turkish province of Kilis, in the village of Yavuzlu, with high-level representatives from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Syria in attendance.

Under the first phase of the project, Azerbaijan plans to supply 1.2 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Syria.

The gas will be directed to power plants in Aleppo and Homs, generating around 1,200–1,300 megawatts of electricity, significantly supporting the restoration of Syria’s energy infrastructure.

By Aghakazim Guliyev