Türkiye to receive Turkmen gas in 2025 under new cooperation protocol

Türkiye and Turkmenistan signed the 8th Economic Cooperation Commission Protocol on Tuesday, outlining 87 action items aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and boosting trade between the two nations.

The agreement was signed by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Nokerguli Ataguliyev following talks at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

“Under this 87-point protocol, we’ve outlined numerous initiatives including the organization of the 12th Turkish Export Products Fair in Turkmenistan and the Turkmen Products Fair in our country in 2025,” Yilmaz said at a joint press conference after the signing ceremony.

Yilmaz congratulated Turkmenistan for its initiative that led the United Nations General Assembly to declare 2024 as the “International Year of Peace and Security,” expressing appreciation for the country’s commitment to peace.

Energy cooperation takes center stage

A significant development emerged in the energy sector, with Yilmaz announcing that Turkmen natural gas will begin flowing to Türkiye on March 1, 2025, under an agreement between BOTAS and Turkmengaz.

“Initially, 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be delivered through a SWAP method. We see this as just the beginning,” Yilmaz said. “In later stages, we believe Turkmen gas and electricity will reach European and global markets via Türkiye.”

The vice president also mentioned ongoing efforts to involve Turkish state companies TPAO and BOTAS in developing Turkmenistan’s hydrocarbon fields and infrastructure investments to transport these resources to western Turkmenistan.

Trade targets remain ambitious

Trade volume between the countries has reached $2.2 billion, but Yilmaz noted this falls short of the $5 billion goal set by the presidents of both nations.

“We’re proud to be Turkmenistan’s second-largest partner in both exports and imports. Of course, we aspire to be in first place,” Yilmaz said. “We haven’t even reached half of our $5 billion trade target yet.”

Turkish contractors have undertaken more than 1,100 projects in Turkmenistan valued at $54 billion, including prestigious developments such as the Olympic Complex, Turkmenbashi Port, and the Arkadag Smart City. Turkmenistan represents 10% of Türkiye’s international contracting portfolio, ranking second after Russia, according to Yilmaz.

Transportation and education initiatives

Yilmaz emphasized the critical importance of developing the Middle Corridor, noting that increasing the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and opening the Zangezur Connection would make the Middle Corridor more attractive.

In education, nearly 30,000 Turkmen students are studying at Turkish universities. Yilmaz said they would accelerate efforts to increase this number and develop cooperation with educational institutions in Turkmenistan, including expanding the capacity of the Turkmen-Turkish General Education School.

The Turkish delegation at the meeting included deputy ministers from 13 different ministries, demonstrating the broad scope of cooperation between the two countries.