Turkey becomes a powerful player due to Russian gas

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Yesterday the Turkish ambassador to Moscow, Ümit Yardım, stated that Russia and Turkey have started technical implementation of the Turkish Stream Project. He added that Ankara considered energy cooperation with Moscow as “critically important interrelations.” The intergovernmental agreement on gas pipelines is planned to be signed in spring. The first volumes of gas will be transported by the end of 2016.

Konstantin Simonov, the director of the National Energy Security Foundation, thinks that the Turkish Stream provides Turkey with great geopolitical advantages, turning it into a strong player in the region. Last week a route for the gas pipeline was agreed, and it was beneficial for Turkey.

Gazprom and the Turkish company Botas agreed that the gas pipeline would pass through 660 km of the South Stream pipeline route and 250 km – through a new corridor toward the European part of Turkey.

“It would be easier for us to construct the pipeline parallel to the Blue Stream; it would be cheaper. And then Turkey could build it on land,” Simonov said. “However, we agreed with the Turkish point of view: the pipeline will pass through the European part of Turkey, closer to Istanbul. It has a certain logic: the major center of gas consumption is situated in the region. And a small part of the pipe is left for Greece. Russia is ready to invest in the project, i.e. it will be a joint venture.” 

Simonov reminds that Turkey is not a member of the EU and the rules of the Third Energy Package, which forbids investment in gas transporting infrastructure, don’t cover Ankara; thus, Russia can be a shareholder of the pipeline on Turkish territory.

The Turkish Stream should eliminate Ukraine from the transit system. The project will develop quickly. The South Stream, which was rejected by Russia in early December, had to be constructed along the bottom of the Black Sea and pass though Bulgaria to transport gas to Europe. Instead of this, it was decided to construct a pipeline in Turkey and establish a gas hub for Southern European consumers on the border with Greece.

However, Simonov thinks that even though the Turkish Stream will be more expensive, it has advantages: “We wanted to construct it through the territorial waters of Turkey and continue it to Bulgaria; the pipeline was already there. We should project only a part toward Istanbul. I think in 8-10 months we will develop the technical and economic foundations of the project, and after that we will construct the first pipe section on the seabed. Pipes have already been bought for the South Stream.”

Simonov is interested in how Turkey will use the situation. “Earlier, it was considered to be a gateway for non-Russian gas. Today it turns out that all pipelines will pass through Turkey. It is a great geopolitical advantage. But these are questions for the Europeans, how they will talk to Turkey now. It is an interesting moment how relations will be built between Europe and Turkey, which is improving its geopolitical positions, becoming a powerful player.”