Erdoğan, Putin Launch TurkStream: 'We will Implement Many More Mutual Projects'

Photo: AA

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The TurkStream natural gas pipeline, which will transport Russia's natural gas to Europe through Turkey, has been launched with an opening ceremony at İstanbul's Haliç Congress Center.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Alexandar Vucic of Serbia, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov of Bulgaria, and energy ministers from the countries attended the ceremony.

Erdoğan and Putin met before and after the ceremony

Ahead of the ceremony, Erdoğan and Putin had a closed-door meeting that took about one-and-a-half-hour. They had a second meeting after the opening of the pipeline.

Speaking at the ceremony, Putin began his words saying that "Despite efforts at obstruction, Russian-Turkish cooperation is developing in all fields."

Russia and Turkey together can solve some of the world's most complex, ambitious tasks for the common good, he asserted, adding that the two countries will implement "many more mutually beneficial projects in energy, other areas in the future."

"I am sure that in the future Russia and Turkey will implement many more mutually beneficial projects both in energy and other areas," he said.

Tensions in the region

Russia's president also highlighted the cooperation between Moscow and Ankara despite "tendencies to raise tensions in the region," apparently referring to the recent row between the US and Iran.

Erdoğan also touched on the issue, saying that tensions between Turkey's neighbor Iran and ally US has reached levels that Ankara never desired. "Turkey will do all possible not to allow the region to be drowned in blood and tears," he said.

Erdoğan termed the TurkStream project "historic" in terms of bilateral ties and cooperation in the energy field.

During his speech, Erdoğan also ruled out any project in the Eastern Mediterranean excluding Turkey. "There is no chance of realizing any project in the Eastern Mediterranean that excludes our country," he said.

The TurkStream

The TurkStream project consists of two lines with a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year. The first line will carry 15.75 bcm of Russian gas to Turkish consumers every year, and the second line will carry another 15.75 bcm from Russia to Europe via Turkey.

Turkey's Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ) built the first line that will connect to Turkey's existing gas grid, while the second line, to be operated by a Gazprom-BOTAS joint venture, will stretch to the Turkish-European border in Turkey's Thrace region.

Alexey Miller, the CEO of Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom, had announced in December 2014 that Putin canceled the construction of the South Stream pipeline that planned to carry Russian gas to Europe via Bulgaria.

After its termination, Putin said Gazprom agreed to build a natural gas pipeline to Turkey, bypassing Ukraine and naming the project the Turkish Stream, later to be known as TurkStream.

(PT/VK)