Turkish president approves bilateral natural gas cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan

President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has officially ratified the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of natural gas between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

The ratification was published in the Official Gazette (Resmi Gazete) on April 18, confirming the agreement’s formal entry into force following Türkiye's approval, Caliber.Az reports via domestic media.

Originally signed on May 14, 2024, in Istanbul, the agreement marked another milestone in the strategic energy partnership between the two countries. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the agreement into law on July 8, 2024.

The document reflects the commitment of both governments to deepen their cooperation in the natural gas sector. It affirms the successful partnership between the Republic of Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the energy sphere and underlines their mutual intention to expand this cooperation further.

Both sides recognise the crucial role Türkiye and Azerbaijan play in ensuring energy security and diversifying energy supply sources—not only for each other but also for the broader European market.

The agreement emphasises the effective collaboration between the two nations on several key energy projects. These include the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan Main Export Oil Pipeline, and the Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum Gas Pipeline. It also references their joint efforts under the first and second stages of the Shah Deniz gas field project, particularly in the purchase and sale of natural gas.

In addition to these cornerstone projects, the agreement outlines broader cooperation commitments, laying the groundwork for further development of joint initiatives in energy infrastructure, supply diversification, and regional market integration.

By Tamilla Hasanova