BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. The Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, discussed steps for organizing the transportation of Turkmen gas to Türkiye and the EU, as well as potential cooperation in hydrocarbon extraction in Turkmenistan, during negotiations held in Ashgabat, Trend reports via the minister's X publication.
"During intensive bilateral meetings in Ashgabat, the Turkish delegation met with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Batyr Amanov, the President of Turkmengaz, Maksat Babayev, the President of Turkmengeology, Gurbangeldy Garliyev, and the head of Turkmen Petroleum, Guvanch Agajanov," Bayraktar said.
According to him, the parties evaluated the steps needed to implement the memorandum of understanding signed in March 2024 for transporting Turkmen gas to and through Türkiye to Europe.
"Additionally, we discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the exploration and extraction of oil and gas onshore in Turkmenistan and on the Caspian shelf of Turkmenistan," the minister pointed out.
Previously, Bayraktar said that since 2025, Türkiye would like to receive 1.5–2 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan (via Iran and Azerbaijan), and the transportation of such volumes would not require major investments.
To note, in June, BOTAS signed a corresponding transit agreement with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), but the necessary agreements between the Azerbaijani company and Turkmenistan are still pending.
Türkiye's total gas demand is about 50 billion cubic meters per year, but the country also positions itself as a gas hub, with five LNG terminals of varying capacities and a developed network of gas pipelines.