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Erdogan, Putin launch new gas line, vow Mideast diplomacy

Published:Thursday | January 9, 2020 | 12:33 AM
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left), talk after they symbolically open a valve during a ceremony in Istanbul for the inauguration of the TurkStream pipeline on Wednesday, January 8. The man in the centre is an interpreter.
The Associated Press
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left), talk after they symbolically open a valve during a ceremony in Istanbul for the inauguration of the TurkStream pipeline on Wednesday, January 8. The man in the centre is an interpreter.

ISTANBUL (AP):

The presidents of Turkey and Russia inaugurated the dual natural gas line connecting their countries yesterday, opening up a new export path for Russian gas into Turkey and Europe and promising cooperation in trade and diplomacy.

The meeting in Istanbul between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin came amid deteriorating security in the Mideast, with United States ((US)-Iranian tensions high since the American killing of a top Iranian commander last week. In a joint statement, they vowed to work for de-escalation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Putin hailed the TurkStream gas pipeline as a symbol of fruitful cooperation between Russia and Turkey and a “unique, unprecedented system for transporting gas” that would benefit all of Europe.

With TurkStream, Russian gas passes through the Black Sea to Turkey. Together, the two 930-kilometre (578-mile) lines under the Black Sea, along with the Russian and Turkish onshore pipes, have the capacity to carry 31.5 billion cubic metres (1.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually.

Russia is the top gas supplier to Turkey, which relies on imports for its energy needs. TurkStream allows Russia to bypass Ukraine by opening up a new direct transport line, to Turkey, in addition to the Blue Stream line also under the Black Sea further east. The simmering conflict between Moscow and Kyiv has prompted Russia to seek alternative gas routes to Europe.

From Turkey, Russian gas will reach southern and southeastern Europe through new and existing lines. Turkstream has already begun transporting gas, but the two leaders turned a symbolic valve in the ceremony.

Erdogan said the “historic” project was a key example of Turkey and Russia’s “win-win cooperation” and a basis for future projects.

The opening of the TurkStream pipeline comes amid tensions over another ambitious Russian project, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is supposed to allow Russia to transport natural gas directly to Europe, again bypassing Ukraine. Late last year, construction of Nord Stream from Russia to Germany was halted after US President Donald Trump signed off on sanctions against individuals and companies involved with it. Immediately after that, a Swiss company laying the pipeline suspended work on it.