Turkmenistan agrees to transit gas to Türkiye through Iran
Gas pipeline. (AFP Photo)
Turkmenistan has reached an agreement with Turkish energy company Bota to transit its natural gas through Iran using a swap arrangement, Turkmenistan’s Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, state newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported.
Gas transit and energy cooperation
Berdimuhamedov confirmed that the deal aims to enhance cooperation between Turkmenistan, Iran and Türkiye in the energy sector.
The agreement allows Turkmenistan to use Iran’s infrastructure to facilitate gas shipments to Türkiye, strengthening regional energy partnerships. BOTAŞ and Turkmengaz reached an agreement on the supply of Turkmen gas to Türkiye.
According to the written statement made by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, deliveries are planned to start on 1 March.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, in his post on X social media account, noted that a historic step was taken in the energy cooperation between Türkiyee and Turkmenistan.
Stating that the concrete output of the memorandum of understanding on the development of cooperation in the field of natural gas signed in Antalya with the participation of President Erdogan and Berdimuhamedov in March last year, Bayraktar said, “Within the scope of the agreement, gas flow is planned to start on 1 March 2025. With this agreement, which we have been working on for many years, we will strengthen the natural gas supply security of our country and our region, while furthering the strategic cooperation between the two countries.”
Besides gas transit, Turkmenistan has proposed constructing a power transmission line from the Mary Hydroelectric Power Station to the Iranian border along the Mary-Mashhad route.
Negotiations have been completed, and an agreement has been signed, with Iranian companies expected to implement the project, Berdimuhamedov stated.
Strategic transport, logistics collaboration
Berdimuhamedov emphasized the significance of transport cooperation, citing Turkmenistan and Iran’s strategic location between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf as a vital trade corridor linking Asia and Europe.
“Turkmenistan and Iran share a geographically advantageous position, offering both nations opportunities for constructive partnerships in transportation and logistics,” he noted.
Long-term gas supply plans with Türkiye
Türkiye has long expressed interest in securing Turkmen gas. Turkish Ambassador to Ashgabat Ahmet Demirok stated in September that Türkiye aims to import 300 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan over the next 20 years for domestic use and export to European markets.
Initially, Türkiye plans to receive 2 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas via a swap arrangement with Iran.
In the long term, a pipeline crossing the Caspian Sea is expected to facilitate annual deliveries of up to 15 billion cubic meters, reaching a total volume of 300 billion cubic meters over two decades.
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