Turkmen gas to be transported to Europe via Türkiye: Minister

ISTANBUL

The sides have reached an agreement regarding the transportation of Turkmenistan's natural gas through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Türkiye, and subsequently directing it toward the European market, the Turkish energy minister has announced.

"With the agreement we have signed today, our relations in the natural gas sector are entering a new dimension. This agreement encompasses numerous provisions. Within this framework, we envisage the augmentation of gas volumes from Azerbaijani and Caspian resources reaching Türkiye by 2030, with a portion of this gas being transported to Europe via Türkiye,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated during his speech at the signing ceremony in Istanbul on May 14. Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov was also present at the gathering.

The significant and novel aspect of this agreement is the concord reached on the transportation of Turkmenistan's natural gas to Türkiye through Azerbaijan and Georgia, he said.

The Türkiye-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline stretching from the Turkish border province of Iğdır to Azerbaijan’s exclave is one of the latest examples of broader energy cooperation between Ankara and Baku.

“This winter, Nakhchivan's natural gas will be delivered through Türkiye. We plan to commission this line [Iğdır – Nakhchivan] as soon as possible,” the Turkish minister said.

The memorandum of understanding on natural gas supply to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was signed between then-Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Parviz Shahbazov, at the end of 2020.