Türkiye is preparing to establish a center to export gas to Europe and resume pumping Iraqi oil
Turkey saw that the energy and transportation corridors in the region could not succeed in their absence, and revealed work to expand its gas infrastructure with the aim of establishing a center for transporting Russian gas to Europe.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that energy and transportation corridors cannot be effective and sustainable in the region without his country’s participation.
He added, during a speech at the “Global Turkish Business Forum” that was launched in Istanbul on Friday: “We hope to move within months to the implementation phase of the Turkish-Iraqi development road project, which carries great importance for the well-being and stability of the Middle East.”
He pointed out that intensive talks were held with Iraq, the Emirates, and Qatar regarding the project, explaining that new trade routes have become important after the geopolitical developments witnessed in recent years, including the Corona epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the competition between the United States and China, or the West and China.
He continued that these developments also re-introduced other trade routes that were previously discussed in theory, pointing out that the trade route does not mean meeting trade alone, but at the same time it is a reflection of geostrategic competition.
Gas center
In a parallel context, Turkish Energy Minister Alp Arslan Bayraktar said that his country intends to expand its gas infrastructure, while laying the foundation for a gas exchange project that will enable the countries of southeastern Europe to obtain it.
Russia had proposed establishing a gas center in Turkey to compensate for sales to Europe that it lost due to Western sanctions after it invaded Ukraine in February last year.
The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, gave instructions for starting the project, and they also discussed its steps during their meeting in Sochi recently, after implementation was delayed due to the earthquake disaster in Turkey last February, and preoccupation with the presidential and parliamentary elections that were held in May (May). ).
Turkey has identified the Thrace region, located in the northwest of the country, as the headquarters of the gas center, and is working to expand its gas infrastructure, linking liquefied natural gas stations and an upgraded storage facility in Silivri, west of Istanbul.
Bayrakdar said, in a press conference on Thursday-Friday night, that gas coming from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia via pipelines could feed this center and be priced on the local gas exchange.
Exporting Iraqi oil
On the other hand, Bayraktar confirmed that the oil export pipeline from northern Iraq via Turkey will be ready to resume operations soon after maintenance and damage resulting from the earthquake that struck southern Turkey last February.
He said that inspection of the oil pipeline has been completed and it will be technically ready for operation soon.
Turkey had stopped flows through the pipeline located in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, extending to the port of Ceyhan in the state of Adana in southern Turkey, on March 25, after the International Chamber of Commerce obligated it to pay compensation to Iraq for unauthorized exports of… Kurdistan Regional Government between 2014 and 2018.
Bayrakdar said: “An independent survey company has completed its work on the line, and they are now preparing the report,” but he did not specify a firm date for its resumption of operation.
Iraq and Turkey previously agreed to wait until maintenance work was completed before resuming exports through the pipeline, which contributes about 0.5 percent of global oil supplies.
The Iraqi Kurdistan government has lost about $4 billion since oil flows to the Turkish port of Ceyhan stopped, while the line is not expected to restart before next October.
Nuclear plants
On the other hand, Bayraktar revealed ongoing negotiations with Russia, China, and South Korea to build a second nuclear plant in Thrace, northwest of the country, pointing out that the negotiations with China have reached a “very important point.”
On the other hand, he pointed out the continuation of talks with Russia regarding the third nuclear plant in Sinop state in the Black Sea region in the north of the country. He explained that Turkey’s ultimate goal is to increase the capacity of electricity production from nuclear energy to 20 gigawatts.
Russia is currently working on establishing the Akkuyu station, which is the first nuclear power generation station in Turkey, located in Mersin, in the south of the country.
Bayraktar said: “We would like to create a broader nuclear ecosystem in Turkey… We need nuclear energy for the successful transition to clean energy by 2050,” which is when Turkey expects its economy, amounting to about $900 billion, to be carbon-free. .
2023-09-15 15:32:23
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