Türkiye, Azerbaijan strengthen natural gas cooperation with new agreement

‘Natural gas will be delivered to Nakhchivan through Türkiye this winter’

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the natural gas cooperation agreement signed between Türkiye and Azerbaijan has elevated relations.

“With this agreement, we are reaching a consensus for the delivery of Turkmenistan natural gas to Türkiye via Azerbaijan and Georgia,” Bayraktar said at the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony in the Natural Gas Field held in Istanbul with Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.

 

Speaking at a press conference following the ceremony, Bayraktar emphasized that the strong will demonstrated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is the most concrete indicator and guarantee of bilateral cooperation.

Bayraktar also recalled that the Shusha Declaration, signed on June 15, 2021, reached the level of bilateral strategic partnership, which is a strategic alliance.

Referring to the Shusha Declaration as a roadmap for cooperation between the two states, Bayraktar said they have witnessed many manifestations of this cooperation, particularly in diplomacy, military, economics and energy.

‘Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline extremely important for global markets’

Bayraktar noted that the two countries have jointly developed many projects. 

“The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline, especially the supply of Azerbaijani oil and other petroleum from the Caspian region and the Caucasus to Türkiye and global markets, is very important.

This project is crucial for the balance of world oil supply. We have demonstrated this with the strong will of both countries and so far, petroleum has been smoothly reaching the world through this pipeline,” he said.

‘We have reached agreement to deliver Turkmenistan natural gas to Türkiye’

 

Bayraktar reminded that the two countries have developed projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Natural Gas Pipeline and the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). 

“Türkiye and Azerbaijan, with this exemplary cooperation, contribute significantly to our supply security and Europe’s energy supply security. He said, especially with the agreement we signed today, our relations are entering a new dimension in the natural gas field,” he said.

Bayraktar said that this agreement has many aspects and explained: “We anticipate that by 2030, additional gas volumes from Azerbaijan’s resources, natural gas from the Caspian sources, will reach Türkiye, and some of this natural gas will also reach Europe via Türkiye. Furthermore, an important aspect of this agreement is that we have reached a consensus on delivering Turkmenistan natural gas to Türkiye via Azerbaijan and Georgia.”

‘Natural gas to be delivered to Nakhchivan through Türkiye this winter’

 

Bayraktar described the Igdir-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline, which will deliver natural gas to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, as a new “sibling” to the pipelines jointly developed by Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

“Hopefully, natural gas will be delivered to Nakhchivan through Türkiye this winter. We plan to commission this pipeline as soon as possible. Our construction activities are nearing completion,” he said.

Bayraktar emphasized that with today’s agreement, they have also addressed the increase in capacity of TANAP and the South Caucasus natural gas pipelines beyond 2030 with guest Minister Jabbarov.

“To ensure that more gas from the Caspian sources reaches Türkiye and Europe via Türkiye, we will jointly work on expanding the connection capacities in Bulgaria and Greece. Therefore, we have signed such a comprehensive agreement today,” he added.

This agreement again shows that we will continue solidifying our strong brotherhood and cooperation with these agreements between these two countries.”

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline unites Turkic states in Central Asia

 

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov highlighted that Türkiye and Azerbaijan are two brotherly countries, stating that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline brings together the brotherly Turkic states in Central Asia.

Jabbarov stated that today’s agreement demonstrates both countries’ policy of implementing long-term, large-scale projects with a political vision, emphasizing that Türkiye-Azerbaijan cooperation contributes to Europe’s energy security.

He also pointed out the importance of the Iğdır-Nakhchivan Pipeline, stating that the natural gas sent to this region will strengthen Nakhchivan’s energy security and the brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

Jabbarov added that these investments result from the stability processes in the Türkiye economy.

Source: Newsroom