Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.13
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
It remains to be seen if Ankara and Moscow can continue their current cordial relations long enough for Turkish Stream to be built, Bruce Pannier, US expert on Central Asia and energy issues, told Trend Oct.13.
The expert was commenting on the recent agreement signed between Russia and Turkey in Istanbul during the 23rd World Energy Congress.
He recalled that Russia has been planning on using Turkish Stream for shipments to southern Europe, since the plans to build the South Stream pipeline fell apart due to legal complications with the European Union that led Bulgaria, where the South Stream pipeline was to have entered Europe, to withdraw from the project.
“The bigger question is how long Turkish-Russian relations can endure at the level they are now,” he said.
Pannier noted that those ties went from a very low point in the months after the SU-24 incident, to this new relationship that just saw Russian President Vladimir Putin visit Turkey and the agreement on Turkish Stream signed.
“In April 2014, Turkey offered its territory for South Stream and Russia refused, some feel because Turkey was asking for lower prices for the gas Turkey receives from Russia through the Blue Stream pipeline,” he said. “Once Bulgaria pulled out of South Stream, Russia suddenly expressed an interest in the Turkish offer to route the pipeline through Turkey.”
The expert pointed out that Turkey wants to be an energy hub, so this latest pipeline deal helps Ankara’s ambitions.
“At the same time, the Turkish government probably remembers Russia’s negative attitude towards Turkish offers of participation in the pipeline project in early 2014,” said Pannier. “There are many other issues that divide the two countries, so it remains to be seen if Ankara and Moscow can continue their current cordial relations long enough for Turkish Stream to be built.”
Turkish Stream project, which involves the construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey through the Black Sea, was frozen after the relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated in November 2015. In August 2016, the presidents of two countries Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to resume the implementation of the Turkish Stream project.
...
