NATO member Turkey and Russia had a decade-long lull in economic relations after Ankara blamed Moscow for selling gas to Turkey at more expensive rates than to other buyers. They were also at loggerheads after Turkey backed four European countries on the 7.9-billion-euro Nabucco pipeline project planned to carry gas from the Caspian and Iran to Europe from 2013 to lessen Europe’s dependence on Russia. But a senior Turk Energy Ministry source said the two countries were now talking again.
“A path has now been opened to doing business on several critical projects,” the source, who asked for anonymity, told Reuters. Russia had said any pipeline project without its gas was doomed to fail and challenged Nabucco by broaching the South Stream project, which plans a pipeline to Bulgaria and Italy from Russia via the Black Sea. The source said the two countries agreed during Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev’s visit to Ankara last week to set up a joint company to run Turkey’s urban gas grids. They also agreed to build an underground gas storage facility in central Turkey and have talks to renew a gas contract expiring in 2011.
“Gazprom’s offer also includes the extension of the Blue Stream pipeline to Israel,” he said, referring to the 1,200-kilometer line that pumps 16 bcm of gas to Ankara through the Black Sea.
Sinan Ogan of the Ankara-based think tank Turksam said Turkey and Russia were now in a “new period of cooperation.” “The rivalry between South Stream and Nabucco has been to the detriment of both countries. But now Russia may be invited to take part in the Nabucco project during the planned visit by the Russian president to Turkey,” he said.
Yurdakul Yigitguden, a Turkey-based international energy adviser, said the “warmer period in bilateral relations” could end with Russia supplying “10 to 20 percent of the Nabucco’s gas capacity,” which is planned at 30 bcm annually.
(KATHIMERINI, 23/07/2008)