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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday (14 December) backed the creation of a brand new pure gasoline pipeline that might ease Europe’s dependence on Russia by linking up with energy-rich Turkmenistan.
The Turkish chief’s remarks got here throughout a three-way summit with the presidents of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan within the remoted Central Asian state’s metropolis of Awaza.
The assembly got here with Europe attempting to finish its dependence on Russian vitality following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkmenistan is likely one of the world’s richest nations in gasoline reserves, rating 6th after Russia, Iran, Qatar, the US and Saudi Arabia. Compared, Azerbaijan, from the place the EU already imports gasoline, ranks 25th.
Erdoğan has tried to play a task of a center man within the battle by sustaining shut working relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin whereas supplying Kyiv with arms.
He has backed Putin’s concept of making a brand new “gasoline hub” in Turkey that might provide European shoppers whereas bypassing current pipelines operating via Ukraine and below the Baltic Sea.
However he additionally lent his help on Wednesday to a brand new mission that might hyperlink Turkmenistan with an current pipeline operating from Turkey to Azerbaijan.
Such a pipeline ought to hyperlink Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan throughout the Caspian Sea.
“We stock Caspian Sea gasoline to Europe by way of (the prevailing) hall, which is the spine of the Trans-Anatolian pure gasoline pipeline,” Erdoğan mentioned in remarks launched by his workplace.
“We have to launch work on transporting Turkmen pure gasoline to Western markets in the identical approach.”
A lot of Turkmenistan’s previous gasoline volumes have reached world markets by way of pipeline operating to Russia.
However its has additionally been ramping up provides to China and is on the lookout for methods to entry different markets by way of Turkey.
Erdoğan has lengthy dreamt of utilizing Turkey’s location on the sides of the Center East and Europe to show it into one of many world’s foremost centres of the vitality commerce.
Central Asian nations have additionally been reassessing their once-close relations with Moscow since Russia’s battle on Ukraine.
Russia’s choice to restrict gasoline provides in retaliation for Western sanctions have left European nations scambling for provides as they head into the chilly winter months.
(Edited by Georgi Gotev)
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