Turkey ‘offers possibility of gas supplies through Turkish Stream to border with Greece’

Answering a question on whether the fact that Turkish state bodies would in the near future re-issue permits that had once been issued for the South Stream project and that the work could be continued in the project’s previous configuration - with a pipeline to Bulgaria - Miller said: “No, we are talking exclusively about the re-registration of all previously issued permits for the Turkish Stream, a sea pipeline from Russia to Turkey.”

Speaking about whether gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline would be delivered to Europe, the Gazprom head also said “the Turkish side offers such a possibility to the border of Turkey and Greece.”


Discussing specific details

Russia and Turkey have also reportedly switched to discussing specific details of Turkish Stream pipeline construction, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said after the meeting the presidents of Russia and Turkey Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in China over the weekend. 

“As for the Turkish Stream, it is also in progress. They are discussing specific details. For example, the exact place where the pipe will enter the Turkish coast and the allocation of a land plot for it. Very practical issues,” Ulyukayev said, as quoted by TASS. 

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak previously said that Moscow was planning to negotiate and sign the draft intergovernmental agreement in October this year, as well as beginning construction of the first leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline after receiving all the necessary permits for the construction and exploration in Turkey’s territorial waters.

Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak and a senior delegation from Russia’s Gazprom headed by Miller discussed the upcoming moves to accelerate the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project in a meeting in Istanbul late on Aug. 31, said the ministry in a written statement.

“It was agreed to finalize the required permissions to realize the Turkish Stream project as soon as possible,” said the Energy Ministry statement. 

Turkish President Erdoğan said the Turkish Stream project with Russia would be realized swiftly following a thorough review, during a critical meeting Putin in August.