Türkiye, Azerbaijan driving regional megaproject boom, Erdogan says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has highlighted the growing strategic partnership between Türkiye and Azerbaijan in the energy sector, praising the successful implementation of major regional megaprojects and outlining new opportunities for cooperation in green energy and gas transit during his message to Baku Energy Week participants. 

The message was read out by Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, TRT Haber reports.

Erdogan said recent developments in the region have once again confirmed the correctness of the steps jointly taken with Azerbaijan in the energy sector. He emphasized that Türkiye and Azerbaijan continue to successfully implement numerous megaprojects that were once considered an unattainable dream for the region.

The Turkish president highlighted key joint projects, including the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum gas pipeline, and TANAP, all developed in cooperation with Azerbaijan and with the support of Georgia. He also noted that energy cooperation has further deepened through joint participation in the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli and Shah Deniz projects.

Erdogan said the Türkiye–Azerbaijan partnership in the Shafag–Asiman project further demonstrates that bilateral cooperation continues without slowdown.

“The Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline, which entered into service last year, strengthened the energy supply security of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region. Electricity interconnections between Türkiye and Azerbaijan remain strategically important, he said, adding that the Green Electricity Transmission and Trade project among Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Bulgaria is expected to contribute to the energy security of the wider region,” he said.

“Gas supplies to Syria launched through a joint Turkish-Azerbaijani initiative will support the country’s development and regional security.

The contribution of gas supplies to Syria, which began last August as a result of the Türkiye-Azerbaijan joint initiative, this country’s development and regional security is indisputable,” Erdogan stated.

There are major opportunities ahead for expanding cooperation in the export of Turkmen gas via Azerbaijan and Türkiye. We are also witnessing the increasingly active use of the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline for the transportation of Kazakhstan’s natural resources to Western markets.”

Erdogan stressed that Türkiye is pursuing a strategy aimed at efficiency across all areas of energy, including renewable and green energy, based on principles of productivity and environmental responsibility.

“Our determination to be one of the leading and exemplary countries in global climate policy will be strengthened by hosting COP31, which will take place in Antalya from November 9 to 20 this year. With these thoughts, I hope that Baku Energy Week will bring benefits to our countries and the entire region,” he concluded.

By Vafa Guliyeva