Turkey is working to enhance the security of its energy supplies by diversifying its sources by starting to supply natural gas from Turkmenistan starting from March 1, which supports its goal of becoming a hub for natural gas trade.
On Tuesday, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced via the “X” platform that the historic natural gas supply agreement between Turkey and Turkmenistan has officially entered into force, and that the flow of Turkmen gas to Turkey will begin starting from March 1.
The Minister of Energy also indicated that the agreement signed between the Turkish company “Botas” and the Turkmen company “Turkmengas” will allow Turkmen gas to reach Turkey.
In his speech, Oguzhan Akiner, head of the Energy Strategies and Policy Research Center in Turkey, said that “strengthening cooperation and integration in the energy sector among the Turkic countries, along with Turkey’s goal of becoming a hub for natural gas trade and the possibility of providing alternatives to Europe instead of relying on Russian gas, has brought the Turkmen gas file back to the forefront.”
The Organization of Turkic States (formerly the Turkic Council) was established on October 3, 2009, and includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, while Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer members.
Akiner pointed out that there are multiple options for transporting Turkmen gas, including transporting it via Iran using the swap system, or in the long term by building a pipeline across the Caspian Sea.
Akiner added that the importance of Turkmen gas lies not only in its size, but also in its role in strengthening relations between the Turkic countries.
He added: “We do not necessarily have to transfer this gas directly to the West, but we can use it in our eastern regions within Turkey. The most important thing is to introduce it to the energy network operating in our country.”
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Regarding the impact of this agreement on energy markets, Akiner said: “We can say that this step will strengthen Turkey’s geostrategic position and support its goal of becoming a center for natural gas trade, and it will also contribute, albeit to a limited extent, to enhancing the security of energy supplies in the country.”
He pointed out that the start of this cooperation will pave the way for new investments and larger trade opportunities, in addition to clarifying the position of the countries located on the potential gas transfer route within the framework of exchange and barter options.
Akiner stressed that Turkey has already started exporting gas to some European countries in recent years, explaining that even small quantities that will be supplied to the Balkan countries can bring great benefits to the country.
“The 2 billion cubic meters of (Turkmen) gas may be seen as insufficient for Turkey, but it is actually an important first step. This start may pave the way for the future establishment of a natural gas corridor of up to 100 billion cubic meters, which will enhance the integration of the Turkic countries in the energy sector,” he continued.
Akiner also explained that if a suitable investment environment is provided and export corridors are established, Turkmenistan could reach 65 billion cubic meters of exports by 2050. “Therefore, I think it would be useful for both the EU and the US to support this process, as it could contribute to reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas,” Akıner concluded.
