Turkey can help the European Union diversify its energy supply routes, and the Nabucco pipeline project is key to this goal, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
"We have to diversify" energy sources, Erdogan said during a press briefing after meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "In that respect, the Nabucco project is very important," he said.
Erdogan confirmed Turkey's full commitment to making the necessary investment to build the 3,300-kilometer pipeline, stressing it is supporting the project.
Earlier Monday, he said Turkey could review its position on the pipeline, if the energy chapter in the negotiations to become a member of the E.U. were blocked, AFP reported.
The E.U. is seeking to diversify its energy supply sources to improve its security, and a two-week gas shortage because of a dispute between Ukraine and Russia has demonstrated the need for such a diversification.
Nabucco, which would connect Turkey with Austria, bringing gas from Central Asia, is a priority for the commission. However, experts have questioned the whether enough gas can be provided from Central Asia to fill the pipeline, which has an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters.