Türkiye believes its presence is indispensable to the success of energy and transport corridors in the region, revealing plans to expand its gas infrastructure to facilitate the transit of Russian gas to Europe.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asserted that effective, sustainable operation of energy transportation corridors without Türkiye’s involvement is not possible.
Speaking at the 10th World Turkish Business Council Congress in Istanbul, Fidan said: “We hope to move into the implementation phase of the Development Road project, which is of great importance for prosperity and stability in the Middle East within the next few months.”
He highlighted ongoing intense negotiations with Iraq, the UAE, and Qatar about the project.
Fidan emphasized the significance of new trade routes, especially in light of recent geopolitical developments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russo-Ukrainian war, and the rivalry between the United States and China, or more broadly, the West and China.
He noted that these developments have revived discussions of other trade routes previously considered theoretically, emphasizing that trade routes don’t merely cater to commerce but also reflect geostrategic competition.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that Türkiye plans to expand its gas infrastructure as it lays the groundwork to establish a gas exchange from which countries in southeast Europe can source gas.
Following its incursion into Ukraine in February of the previous year, Russia proposed setting up a gas hub in Türkiye last year to replace lost sales to Europe.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have given directives to commence the project.
They discussed specific steps during their recent meeting in Sochi after the project’s delay due to the earthquake catastrophe in Türkiye last February and the presidential and parliamentary elections in May.
Türkiye plans to expand its gas infrastructure in northwest Türkiye’s Thrace region, connecting LNG gasification terminals and an upgraded storage facility in Silivri, west of Istanbul.
Bayraktar told a press briefing on Thursday that gas coming from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia through pipelines could also feed into this hub and be priced in a local gas exchange.— Asharq Al Awsat
