Status: 10/14/2022 4:29 PM
Turkish President Erdogan announced the establishment of a transit point for Russian gas. The Kremlin chief Putin had suggested this the day before. According to Erdogan, both countries want to search for the best site together.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the construction of a new gas infrastructure in Turkey to redistribute Russian supplies. The Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying that preparations would be carried out jointly by Turkey and Russia.
On the return flight from Astana, Kazakhstan, Erdogan said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had asked the Turkish Energy Ministry and the relevant authority in Russia to work together on the matter.
Quick start to construction
Construction work should start as soon as possible. “There is no delay here. We immediately reported this decision to our Minister of Energy and Natural Resources today,” Erdogan said. The head of Gazprom Alexei Miller is also involved in this project.
Erdogan said the authorities of the two countries are working together to determine the best location for the gas distribution center. The Turkish part of Thrace on the border with Greece and Bulgaria seems to be the best location. “Together with Mr. Putin, we have instructed our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the responsible institution on the Russian side to work together,” Erdogan said. “They will conduct this study. Wherever the most suitable place, we hope to set up the distribution center.”
The Turkish president had met Kremlin President Vladimir Putin in Kazakhstan the day before. On this occasion, the two presidents concluded a general agreement on expanding economic cooperation between their countries. During the meeting, Putin proposed using Russian gas to develop Turkey into a natural gas recharging and exchange point.
Leave Stream instead of Nord Stream
After supplies to Germany were halted from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on the Baltic Sea, which has since been badly damaged by the explosions, Putin floated the idea of exporting more gas via the existing TurkStream gas pipeline, which runs from Russia through the Black Sea. to Turkey. But a pipeline can also be built.
Putin offered Erdogan to Russia’s Interfax news agency, “If Turkey and our potential buyers are interested, we can think about building another gas pipeline and creating a gas center in Turkey for sale to third countries, especially Europe.” In addition, a gas exchange can also be established for setting prices in Turkey.
Lack of understanding in the European Union
The route through Turkey is “currently the safest delivery method”. Erdogan is said to have agreed. According to Erdogan, the gas center can be built in the Thrace region of western Turkey, in the border area with Greece and Bulgaria.
The project faced a lack of understanding in the European Union. The French presidential office explained that such a project is meaningless, because Europe wants in any case to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
