Türkiye seeks transit of Turkmen gas via Azerbaijan

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar has said that Türkiye is open to the possibility of transit of Turkmen gas through Azerbaijani territory, with potential deliveries to Türkiye reaching up to 2 billion cubic metres per year.

"Turkmen gas, which was delivered to Azerbaijan, can be transported through Azerbaijani territory into Türkiye," Bayraktar said in an interview with Report, Caliber.Az reports.

He added that gas can be supplied through the same infrastructure that currently delivers Azerbaijani gas to Türkiye via Georgia.

"The volumes of such transit might not be very high, but the key point is that there is a technical possibility to carry it out through Azerbaijan. Turkmen gas flows into Azerbaijan via swap arrangements through Iran, and similarly, it could be routed to Türkiye," the minister noted. 

Bayraktar declined to comment on whether discussions have taken place with Azerbaijan regarding the transit of Turkmen gas to Türkiye.

However, he emphasised that Azerbaijan is fully aware of these plans, as "without discussions with Azerbaijan, their implementation would be impossible." 

"We work together with Azerbaijan on all matters. We have already implemented a number of large-scale projects. Right now, Azerbaijani gas is flowing into Türkiye, and from there, it is reaching Europe," the minister stated.

Bayraktar also pointed out that the technical capacity exists to support the delivery of Turkmen gas to Türkiye, with annual supplies potentially reaching up to 1.5 to 2 billion cubic metres.

The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is considering options for transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Europe via Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

The issue of Turkmen gas has been on the agenda for many years, Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the Energy and Climate Forum in Istanbul.

“If energy imports are the main cause of the current account deficit, we have to concentrate on resolving this issue and reduce Türkiye’s dependence abroad. This is our main goal,” he said.

Bayraktar stated that they made a deal with Turkmenistan for delivery of the latter’s natural gas exports to Türkiye and Europe via Türkiye.

“This has been on our agenda for quite some time and the circumstances are suitable now. We were pleased that Turkmenistan was eager about the deal. We have three alternatives for the supply of Turkmen gas, including supplies via Iran through a swapping deal and via Iran and Azerbaijan, again, by swapping. A third, more sustainable way is establishing a trans-Caspian pipeline. All options are on the table,” he said.

A memorandum of understanding and a letter of intent on natural gas cooperation were inked during the recent Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

By Naila Huseynova