Türkiye to receive 1.3B cubic meters of Turkmen gas by year-end

Türkiye will begin receiving natural gas from Turkmenistan for the first time in over two decades through a pipeline supply arrangement, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced.

Historic gas supply agreement

Speaking during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Indonesia, Bayraktar highlighted the significance of the deal, stating, “For the first time in over 20 years, Türkiye will receive pipeline gas from a country beyond its borders.” He confirmed that Türkiye will supply 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to domestic users by the end of 2025.

Bayraktar emphasized Türkiye’s efforts to diversify its energy sources, saying, “We have been working on this for a long time. Our goal is to diversify and secure gas supplies from multiple countries. This agreement is part of that plan.”

For we want to diversify and differentiate Türkiye’s gas supply. We want to procure our gas from different countries. Therefore, this is part of the plan. In this sense, we have actually enabled the procurement of gas in LNG form from different countries through regasification facilities for a long time.

We have adopted such a supply route, but apart from that, for the first time in over 20 years, Türkiye will procure pipeline gas from a country beyond its borders. This is a first for us. In fact, this issue dates back to the 1998s, but unfortunately, for nearly 30 years, not even a cubic meter of gas has reached Türkiye from Turkmenistan. Hopefully, as of March 1, this will be overcome.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar

Gas transit via Iran

Under the agreement, Türkiye will receive Turkmen gas through a swap deal via Iran. Turkmenistan will deliver gas to Iran, which will then transfer an equivalent amount to Türkiye at the Gurbulak border crossing.

Bayraktar described the deal as crucial for energy diversification, cost reduction, and securing competitive pricing for Türkiye’s gas imports.

Turkmenistan is indeed a very important gas supplier and producer. The ability of these resources to reach Türkiye and, especially, to be transported to Europe, which is in need of them, through Türkiye is also of great significance. In this regard, our infrastructure is ready, but one of the key constraints here is the status and transit of the Caspian Sea. That is, if we have a pipeline that crosses the Caspian, we will have the opportunity to supply much larger quantities of gas, which would be significant for both Türkiye and Europe.

The ultimate goal, the point we aim to reach, is essentially this. Within this supply process, which will continue until the end of the year, we hope to provide 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to consumers in Türkiye.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar

Future expansion and energy security

The minister also noted the long-term goal of increasing gas imports from Turkmenistan, particularly through a direct pipeline across the Caspian Sea. “Turkmenistan is a key gas producer. If we establish a Caspian pipeline, we can supply significantly larger amounts of gas, not only for Türkiye but also for Europe,” he said.

Türkiye’s growing role in regional energy trade

Bayraktar confirmed that Türkiye is engaged in broader energy negotiations with multiple countries. “We are working on various import and export agreements. Europe is facing major supply concerns, particularly after disruptions to Ukrainian transit routes. We facilitated gas flows to Slovakia via Türkiye starting on February 1. We will continue supporting regional energy security and stability.”

At present, we have various initiatives related to both imports and exports. Europe has serious expectations regarding gas. Very recently, Slovak Prime Minister Mr. Fico visited our President. They were dealing with the consequences of the interruption of the Ukrainian transit. We assisted them in this matter, and as of February 1, we ensured that gas was delivered through Türkiye.

Therefore, we continue our efforts both in terms of exports and in bringing different resources from our region to Türkiye. If a project creates value for Türkiye and the relevant countries—if it is a win-win—Türkiye will certainly support that project.

Türkiye will always support any project that contributes to regional peace, regional development, and prosperity. We will continue to be involved in projects that enhance the security of supply in our region.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar