BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11. The energy partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye is entering a new phase: while oil and natural gas formed its foundation in recent decades, the joint agenda is now increasingly focused on electricity, renewable energy sources, interconnections, and the export of green energy to Europe.
Namely, this transition was a key topic at the 5th Azerbaijan-Türkiye Energy Forum, held today in Baku.
Meanwhile, it's not a matter of replacing traditional energy with a "green" agenda. Rather, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are building the next stage of the energy architecture they have already established: existing oil and gas routes are serving as the foundation for developing new energy links, and the model of cooperation itself is gradually shifting from hydrocarbon trade to electricity trade.
From BTC and TANAP to new energy map
For decades, energy cooperation between the two countries has centered on major infrastructure projects—such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, and the Southern Gas Corridor—along with their associated production and processing assets.
This infrastructure has transformed not only the energy relationship between Baku and Ankara but also the standing of both nations on the regional energy map. Azerbaijan gained the ability to bring its resources to international markets, while Türkiye strengthened its role as an energy transit hub connecting the Caspian region with Europe.
According to data presented at the forum, a total of 561 million tons of oil and 196 billion cubic meters of gas have already been supplied from Azerbaijan to Türkiye—and via Türkiye to international markets—using existing oil and gas infrastructure. Türkiye has received 130 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas, 40 billion cubic meters of which were transported via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), the longest section of the Southern Gas Corridor. In the first eight months of 2026 alone, Azerbaijan supplied 6.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Türkiye, while another 7.5 billion cubic meters were routed through Turkish territory to European countries, and 1 billion cubic meters went to Syria.
Thus, the gas infrastructure continues to fulfill its function. Moreover, the geographic reach of Azerbaijani gas supplies is expanding, and Türkiye itself remains a key transit link between Azerbaijan and external markets. It is against this backdrop that the next step becomes clearer.
Electricity becomes new strategic resource
As Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the event, the global energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation: industry, transport, buildings, and daily life are becoming increasingly electrified.
This means that competition will gradually shift beyond the mere possession of energy resources to focus on the capacity to generate electricity, transmit it over long distances, and ensure the reliability of the associated grids.
"The issue now goes beyond mere energy production. It is crucial to deliver the generated energy to demand centers in the safest, most sustainable, rapid, and efficient manner," Bayraktar noted. That's precisely why interconnectors are becoming the modern equivalent of the pipelines that defined the previous energy era for Baku and Ankara.
The minister emphasized that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye already extends far beyond oil and gas, encompassing everything from mining and renewable energy sources to energy efficiency, electricity markets, and transmission and distribution. According to him, the work of the six working groups within the framework of the energy forum not only advances existing cooperation but also "shapes the energy future of both countries and the region."
This represents a significant shift in the partnership's very architecture. In the oil and gas model, the primary assets were the resource itself and the pipeline. The new model adds generation capacity, electrical grids, storage systems, digital technologies, and the capability to balance energy systems to the mix.
Most notably, Türkiye doesn't view the future electric power infrastructure as an exclusively bilateral project. Bayraktar explicitly stated that the model Azerbaijan established for exporting traditional energy resources is also intended to be applied to the green energy sector.
"Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for Europe in natural gas supplies. The country supplies gas to 16 different nations and plays a vital role in ensuring Europe's energy security. We plan to apply a similar model to the electricity sector—specifically regarding green energy," the minister said.
This statement effectively outlines the new strategic logic behind Azerbaijan-Türkiye energy cooperation. Azerbaijan possesses significant solar and wind energy potential in the Caspian region and other parts of the country, while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also hold substantial energy potential of their own. Türkiye, for its part, boasts a large domestic market, a developed industrial sector, and existing infrastructure for accessing the European market. This creates a value chain in which Azerbaijan can act not only as an electricity producer but also as a hub for consolidating and exporting power, while Türkiye serves as an energy and transit hub connecting to Europe.
Bayraktar noted that three major projects being implemented with Türkiye's active participation are set to provide Europe with access to the carbon-neutral electricity it requires.
"Electric TANAP" as new version of energy corridor
The most telling description of this new model came from Bayraktar regarding the four-party project involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Bulgaria. The minister dubbed it a potential "electric TANAP." The significance of the comparison is clear: TANAP became a key artery of the Southern Gas Corridor, enabling Azerbaijani gas to transit through Türkiye and reach the European market. Now, the aim is to establish a similar function for electricity.
The initial phase of the project focuses on maximizing the efficiency of existing infrastructure. A 700 MW electrical interconnection already operates between Türkiye and Georgia, and connections exist between Türkiye and Bulgaria; Azerbaijan is linked to Georgia, while a Nakhchivan–Türkiye connection is being developed in parallel.
Subsequent stages will involve a gradual increase in transmission capacity.
This approach is fundamentally important: new energy infrastructure doesn't necessarily have to be built from scratch all at once. Utilizing existing interconnections allows for the gradual formation of a unified system, with capacity expanded in step with rising production and demand. In the long term, this could transform the electricity grid of the South Caucasus and Türkiye into a new transit route connecting the Caspian region with Europe.
The project to integrate Nakhchivan’s power grid with Türkiye’s, along with the associated exchange of electricity between the parties, holds particular significance.
The importance of this project extends beyond Nakhchivan itself. As Bayraktar noted, the line could eventually be linked to the Azerbaijani mainland via the Zangezur Corridor. Thus, the development of power grid connections could take on an additional dimension should new regional transport and communication routes be established.
An even more ambitious undertaking is the third project highlighted by Bayraktar: an undersea electricity link across the Black Sea.
The project entails the construction of an interconnector originating in Azerbaijan and Georgia that would run along the Black Sea seabed toward Romania and Hungary. Türkiye has also expressed its intention to participate in this initiative.
Taken together, these three avenues—Nakhchivan–Türkiye, Azerbaijan–Georgia–Türkiye–Bulgaria, and the Black Sea cable—create several potential routes for transporting electricity from the Caspian region and Central Asia to Europe. It is in this context that bilateral cooperation takes on a truly Eurasian dimension.
Bayraktar noted that Azerbaijan's agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan create additional opportunities to pool the energy potential of the Turkic world. "If we combine this with the agreement we signed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, I believe it will connect the entire Turkic world," the minister said.
Central Asia can become next source of resources
At the same time, the new electric power architecture does not diminish the importance of hydrocarbons. On the contrary, in Ankara’s energy vision, traditional and new resources are beginning to complement one another. The potential of Turkic states is not limited to oil and gas; Kazakhstan possesses significant oil resources and is a major uranium supplier, Turkmenistan holds vast natural gas reserves, and the region as a whole possesses critical minerals.
For Türkiye, this presents an opportunity to act simultaneously as a consumer of these resources and as a transit hub for their export to international markets. In this context, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline remains significant. According to Turkish data, approximately 500,000–600,000 barrels of oil are supplied to global markets daily via Ceyhan, and the potential to channel oil from Central Asia and other Turkic states into this infrastructure is particularly noteworthy.
In other words, the new energy model is not being built by abandoning the old one; rather, existing infrastructure must be utilized more intensively while simultaneously being supplemented by new routes.
Why this matters for Europe
For the European energy market, the significance of this transformation lies primarily in diversification. In the gas sector, Azerbaijan has already demonstrated its ability to act as an independent supplier and expand its export reach. A similar model can now be applied to electricity. Here, the advantage of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye model lies not only in the availability of renewable resources but also in the existence of multiple infrastructure layers—ranging from power generation to transmission via regional grids.
This is precisely why the development of interconnectors has become a strategic priority. The more interconnected the systems, the greater the capacity to redistribute electricity across markets, integrate variable generation sources, and enhance the resilience of energy supplies.
For Azerbaijan, this implies a potential shift from being solely an oil and gas exporter to playing a broader role as an energy supplier—including electricity from renewable sources. For Türkiye, it means consolidating its status as an energy hub connecting the Caspian region and Central Asia with European markets.
Another key takeaway from the forum is that the energy transition is reshaping the very structure of investment.
As Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov emphasized, digitalization, artificial intelligence, data centers, and expanding electrification are creating new demands on energy systems. Consequently, new generation capacity alone will not suffice.
Robust grids, energy storage systems, new cross-border interconnections, and digital management of energy flows are essential. This is precisely why cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye is gradually shifting from generation to system infrastructure.
Thus, the 5th Azerbaijan-Türkiye Energy Forum demonstrated that energy cooperation between the two nations is moving beyond the traditional "supplier–transit country" framework.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the partnership was anchored in oil and gas. Subsequently, a vast pipeline network was established, linking the Caspian region to Türkiye and Europe. Today, this model is taking on a new dimension. The primary focus of cooperation is no longer a single resource, but an integrated energy system encompassing generation, grids, trade, transit, digital technologies, and the European market. Crucially, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are not starting this process from scratch; they are leveraging the infrastructure, political, and institutional foundations established over decades.
In this sense, the term "electric TANAP" is more than just a fitting metaphor. It captures the fundamental logic of the next phase: just as TANAP became a physical artery for transporting Azerbaijani gas to Türkiye and Europe, new electricity interconnectors could serve as a similar system for electricity from Azerbaijan—and, looking ahead, from Central Asia.
This will add a second dimension to the East-West energy corridor: alongside oil and gas flows, electricity—including green energy—will begin to move along the route.
This marks the key shift in the Azerbaijan-Türkiye energy partnership: it is gradually evolving from the joint development and transport of resources to the collaborative shaping of a new energy map for Eurasia.
