New Growing Role of Turkey?

• 02.10.2015, 02:56
•  Region,  World

Russian plan for a pipeline named "Turkish Stream" instead of "South Stream" is a new opportunity for Turkey to get a potentially crucial role in supplying gas to Europe, The Irish Times reports. And also taking into account that situation around Ukraine is getting more and more stressed, Turkey will try to get as much advantage as possible. One of the examples of this statement is that Turkey has already upped its request for gas along newly planned pipeline from 14 to 16 billion cubic meters per year during. This statement was made during a meeting between Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Gazprom Chief Executive Alexey Miller.

Turkey and Russia have already agreed on this project. The Russian Gazprom on Sunday announced an agreement with Turkey to build a land pipeline to supply gas to Istanbul and be pumped across Turkey to the Greek border for further distribution to the European Union. Earlier Turkey’s ambassador to Russia Ümit Yardim had announced that the design of a natural gas pipeline is under way: "The technological realization of the Turkish Stream project has begun", - the Ambassador told the members of the Russian parliament’s lower house in Moscow, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Russia claims that "Turkish Stream" is the only way to supply gas to Europe, but the latter has opposed the plan, even despite the fact that 30 per cent of its natural gas supply is received from Russia. According to European officials, "Turkish Stream" instead of "South Stream" is not commercially viable, as Turkey needs some 15 billion cubic meters per year, and the other countries of the region need another 15 billion, but the whole amount of gas to be pumped through the pipeline is 63 billion cubic meters. So, according to EU officials, there is no need and it is economically unviable to ship to Turkey more than 60 billion cubic meters gas.