Türkiye vows to be energy hub of Europe: Erdoğan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated Türkiye’s ambitions to become one of the most important energy hubs in the world by linking the country to the energy markets in Europe for the transportation of Russian natural gas, after he met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sept. 4.

“We raise the [cooperation in the] energy sector under different chapters. We will realize different projects for supplying energy products to Europe and the world through our country. By the establishment of the natural gas center in Türkiye, progress will be made in both energy supply and pricing,” Erdoğan told reporters on his return from Sochi to Türkiye.

Erdoğan and Putin held face-to-face meeting and chaired their delegations in Sochi and discussed all bilateral and regional issues in detail. Erdoğan described Türkiye’s cooperation with Russia in the energy field as strategic.

“We have already said that we will make our county an energy hub. We are working on the infrastructure for this. We will turn our county into an important natural gas center thanks to our investments in the recent years,” he said.

At a press conference on Sept. 4, Putin stated that the Russian Gazprom and the Turkish BOTAŞ companies are working on a roadmap for the realization of the energy hub on Türkiye soil.

Erdoğan said Türkiye’s aspirations include being a global gas hub rather than a regional one, stressing their commitment to pursuing energy cooperation with Russia to this end based on the principle of win-win.

Apart from establishing a natural gas hub in Thrace, Türkiye is also hoping to set a center in Istanbul to coordinate the country’s interests in the entire energy field as well as mining. “We will discuss this proposal of ours with Russia,” Erdoğan suggested. “We want anyone who wants to invest in these fields to apply to this new center. We can establish it in the Finance Center in Ataşehir [district of Istanbul],” added the president.

Russia wants to return to SWIFT system

Another important issue Erdoğan and Putin discussed was Russia’s possible return to the Black Sea grain initiative. President Erdoğan expressed his belief that the problems can be resolved through a new package proposed by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

“Russia has two main demands. One of them is the return of Russian agricultural bank to the SWIFT system,” Erdoğan said, adding the second one is resolving the insurance problems of the ships carrying Russian grain.

“Two things are a must for the export. First, the payment should be made and the second, the ships should be protected with insurance,” he said. Recalling that Putin has complained that the West has no intention to lift these restrictions and that’s why Russia is not mulling to return to the grain initiative.

Assad unfavorable for normalization with Türkiye

On a question, Erdoğan elaborated on the current state of Russia’s mediation between Türkiye and Syria.

“Let me first say this: Assad is following the steps taken on the normalization [between Türkiye and Syria] under the format of Türkiye-Russia-Iran-Syria from a distance, from the tribunes. He does not involve himself in it,” Erdoğan stated.

The normalization will be possible only if progress can be made in the fight against terror, political process, the return of the refugees, Erdoğan said, recalling that the four sides’ deputy ministers have worked on these issues in the recent meetings.

Türkiye is expecting concrete steps from Syria in the fight against terror and will not change its stance until its borders and citizens are fully safe. “Our struggle against the terrorist organization will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated. We are in northern Syria to eliminate terrorists there.”