Türkiye will start exporting natural gas to Azerbaijan’s autonomous region, Nakhchivan, this week, according to an announcement from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed the development during his visit to Moscow, speaking to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency. “We are launching natural gas exports to Nakhchivan. The Iğdır-Nakhchivan pipeline has been fully completed. A ceremony will be held to mark this occasion with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijan’s President İlham Aliyev,” he stated.
Currently, Türkiye exports natural gas to Bulgaria and Greece. With this new pipeline, Nakhchivan will be added to the list of export destinations this week, Bayraktar noted.
Strengthening Energy Ties
Bayraktar emphasized that the new pipeline will enhance energy cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. “This project creates another strategic energy link. From now on, Nakhchivan’s natural gas needs will be met through Türkiye,” he added.
After Azerbaijan regained control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Baku prioritized securing a stable gas supply for Nakhchivan. The newly constructed pipeline connects to the Iğdır Natural Gas Pipeline in Türkiye’s eastern province of Iğdır, ensuring uninterrupted gas flow to the region.
Pipeline Developments with Iraq
Bayraktar also discussed the transit of natural gas from Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to Türkiye’s Ceyhan pipeline. He revealed that the infrastructure has been in place for the past 18 months.
He noted that negotiations between Erbil, Baghdad, and oil-producing companies have been progressing well. “We are seeing positive signs that shipments could start soon,” he said.
Bayraktar highlighted Türkiye’s goal of fully utilizing the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline, which consists of two pipelines stretching 650 kilometers from Silopi to Ceyhan. He suggested that throughput via this route could be increased to maximize capacity.
“A portion of the crude oil transported through this pipeline is used at Türkiye’s Kırıkkale refinery, while the rest is exported from Ceyhan to refineries in Türkiye and other countries,” he explained.
Nuclear Energy Collaboration with Russia
Regarding nuclear energy, Bayraktar revealed Russia’s strong interest in Türkiye’s planned nuclear power plant in Sinop, located in the country’s northern region.
“However, our main focus right now is accelerating the commissioning of the first reactor at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Today, we held discussions with Rosatom representatives on this matter,” he concluded.
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