Turkey begins receiving Turkmen gas via Iran - Turkish energy minister
BAKU. March 3 (Interfax) - Turkey has begun importing Turkmen gas via Iranian territory under a barter scheme, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
"We are currently supplying this gas to Turkey through Iran via barter. This agreement is very important for the security of Turkey's supplies and for expanding and diversifying gas sources," Bayraktar said in an interview with Turkish channel A Haber on Sunday.
Turkmen gas is supplied to Turkey at a competitive economic price, he said. "Therefore, Turkmen gas is important in terms of reducing our overall natural gas costs. In this regard, the arrival of Turkmen gas in Turkey is very valuable. This year, we will supply enough gas for approximately 1.5 million households," he said.
Turkey expects to increase gas supplies from Turkmenistan in the future, he said. "In the medium and long term, transporting Turkmen gas to Turkey and Europe via a pipeline across the Caspian Sea would actually be the most ideal and correct way, both technically and commercially," he said.
In addition, Turkey will begin gas deliveries this week to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) via the pipeline running from eastern Turkey's Igdir to Nakhichevan, Bayraktar said. "Turkey has secured natural gas imports from 14 different points. We also have export points - one to Bulgaria and another to Greece. Now, another export point will be added - Nakhichevan. The Nakhichevan pipeline is ready. This week, we will launch this pipeline, creating a new connection between Turkey and Nakhichevan," he said.
Nakhichevan's gas needs will now be met through Turkey, he said.
It was previously reported that BOTAS and Turkmengaz signed an agreement on supplying Turkmen gas to Turkey on February 10, 2025. The plan involves beginning deliveries on March 1 via Iran under a barter scheme, with an annual volume of 1.3 billion cubic meters. The current year was chosen as a pilot period for such deliveries, with the expectation that a long-term agreement on exporting Turkmen gas to Turkey will be concluded during this period.
It was also reported that the ground-breaking ceremony for the pipeline to the NAR, which does not share a border with Azerbaijan, took place on September 25, 2023. The 16-inch pipeline stretches 97.5 km from Igdir to the NAR's Sadarak district, including 17.5 km in Azerbaijan and 80 km in Turkey. On Turkish territory, the pipeline will connect to the main gas pipeline running from Eastern Anatolia to Igdir.
