Türkiye Open to Turkmen Gas Transit via Azerbaijan

Photo credit: Azerbaijan.az

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

In an interview with Azerbaijani media, Bayraktar explained that Turkmen gas, delivered to Azerbaijan, could be transported through Azerbaijani infrastructure into Türkiye, potentially using the same pipelines that currently deliver Azerbaijani gas to Türkiye via Georgia, The Caspian Post reports. 

"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 through swap arrangements with Iran, and similarly, it could be routed to Türkiye," Bayraktar stated. While he declined to confirm whether discussions have already taken place with Azerbaijan, he emphasized that Azerbaijan is fully aware of these plans, as such a project would be impossible without their involvement.

"We work closely with Azerbaijan on all energy matters. We have already completed several large-scale projects together. Azerbaijani gas is currently flowing into Türkiye, and from there, reaching Europe," Bayraktar said, highlighting the strong cooperation between the two countries.

Bayraktar further noted that the technical capacity exists to support the delivery of Turkmen gas to Türkiye, with annual supplies potentially reaching between 1.5 to 2 billion cubic metres. The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is actively considering various options for transporting Turkmen gas to Europe via Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

At the Energy and Climate Forum in Istanbul, Bayraktar stressed that energy imports are a key factor in Türkiye's current account deficit, and reducing dependency on foreign energy is a top priority for the Turkish government. "We must focus on addressing this issue and reducing Türkiye’s reliance on foreign sources. This is our main goal," he added.

Bayraktar also revealed that Türkiye has reached an agreement with Turkmenistan for the delivery of its natural gas exports to Türkiye and Europe. The agreement offers three potential routes: supplies via Iran through a swapping deal, via both Iran and Azerbaijan through swapping arrangements, and a more sustainable option involving the construction of a trans-Caspian pipeline.

These developments follow the signing of a memorandum of understanding and a letter of intent on natural gas cooperation during the recent Antalya Diplomacy Forum.