Turkmen People's Council speaker says Turkmenistan ready to consider gas supply to Turkey

ASHGABAT. March 17 (Interfax) - Turkmenistan is ready to consider gas supplies to Turkey as early as today, Chairman of the Peoples Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said.

"As we, Turkic states, strengthen our regulatory framework, we can bring Turkmen warmth to every Turkish family through the policy of diversification. First of all, Turkmenistan is ready to consider gas supply to Turkey as early as today," the Turkmenistan State News Agency quoted Berdimuhamedow as saying at a summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) as a representative of an observer country and a member of the OTS Council of Elders.

He proposed that the construction of a gas pipeline to Turkey be supplemented with a power transmission line.

"This is just what concerns hydrocarbons. With regard to energy, if the need arises, we will be able to lay a power transmission line alongside a gas pipeline," the agency quoted Berdimuhamedow as saying.

He said Turkmenistan was ready to implement many large-scale joint projects.

Berdimuhamedow paid a working visit to Turkey on Thursday and took part in an extraordinary session of the OTS Council of the Heads of State at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The OTS comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. A number of countries have the observer status. The same status was granted to Turkmenistan in 2021.

Berdimuhamedow said at the summit he was hoping that Turkmenistan would be admitted to the OTS during the next visit of the Turkmen president.