Turkey’s Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, has publicly questioned the necessity of a new natural gas hub proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin last year, marking the first time such doubts have been raised.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Bayraktar stated that Turkey already operates a well-established and effective gas trading platform, suggesting that a new hub may not be needed.
Putin initially proposed the concept of establishing “a gas hub in Turkey for supplies to other countries” during discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Kazakhstan in October of the previous year. Following these talks, Erdogan instructed his government to initiate preparations for an “international distribution center” located in Turkey.
Bayraktar acknowledged that discussions on this matter had experienced interruptions, first due to a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in February and then because of two rounds of presidential elections held in May. However, he emphasized that discussions on the proposal were ongoing.
Currently, Russia transports gas to Turkey through two pipelines beneath the Black Sea. While Turkey exports some of this gas to southeastern European nations like Hungary and Greece, it remains heavily reliant on Russian gas imports due to limited domestic energy resources.
Notably, Moscow is in the process of constructing a nuclear power plant on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, a project that could potentially decrease Turkey’s dependence on foreign gas imports. Bayraktar noted that significant progress had been made on the first of the plant’s four reactors and that the project was proceeding smoothly.
Furthermore, Turkey is exploring the possibility of collaborating with Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear energy company to develop a second power plant in the Black Sea city of Sinop. Bayraktar indicated that Turkey was open to offers from South Korean and Chinese companies interested in constructing “small modular reactors” in the region.
“We are engaged in discussions regarding Sinop with all the interested countries,” Bayraktar stated, emphasizing Turkey’s willingness to explore various options for its energy future.
