Türkiye to help EU replace gas transit through Ukraine
Cyprus is the only one opposed to the resumption of negotiations (photo: Getty Images)
Türkiye is making diplomatic efforts to resume energy talks with the EU. The country is considering the prospect of becoming a major supplier of natural gas after previous talks were disrupted by tensions with Cyprus, Politico reports.
On Sunday, during an interview with the publication, Turkish Ambassador to the EU Faruk Kaymakcı said that energy cooperation would be at the top of the agenda as part of the planned warming of relations, which will include trade talks and political cooperation on wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The move comes as EU member states such as Hungary and Slovakia are looking for alternatives to Russian gas after a transit deal that allowed them to import supplies through Ukraine expired on January 1.
"We have the Southern Gas Corridor. We have 18 billion cubic meters of gas, coming mainly from Azerbaijan - and we can easily expand this, connecting it to Mediterranean gas. Our role is there, our potential is there," Kaymakcı said.
Earlier in 2019, high-level talks on energy trade between Türkiye and the EU were suspended. The leaders of the bloc then said that "for the time being" no meetings would be held due to a dispute between Ankara and Cyprus over the rights to drill gas wells in the Mediterranean.
According to a statement by the European Council, Turkish companies intended to extract fossil fuels "in the territorial waters of Cyprus". Cyprus and Locustia also hoped to develop lucrative natural resources but faced opposition from Türkiye.
"Despite this potential, the EU-Türkiye energy dialogue is blocked because of decisions taken in 2019. We see this as a lose-lose situation. Türkiye is one of the three or four main energy arteries - whether to use it or not is up to the EU," the Turkish ambassador to the EU told the media outlet.
He also added that only Cyprus is currently opposed to the resumption of dialogue on this issue.
"They may not need much energy in the sunny Mediterranean but most of the member states say they need more energy, more diversification. So it's only going to continue," Kaymakcı summarized.
Starting from January 1, 2025, Ukraine stopped transiting Russian gas to Europe.
Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine did not refuse to transit gas from Azerbaijan. However, he will not agree to resume the transit of Russian gas.
