Turkey shuns option of joining energy sanctions against Russia, might increase supplies

Days, after Turkey agreed on ruble payment for part of Russian natural gas, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez, stated on Thursday that country will not join the energy sanctions against Russia as Ankara has a "valid contract" with Moscow. His statement comes as several European nations have imposed sanctions on Russian energy since Moscow launched a full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24.

"We have stated from the very beginning that we will not implement decisions based on sanctions against Russia. We have a valid contract with Russia. We have a valid contract with Azerbaijan and Iran. We are in contact with them. If necessary, we can increase supplies... Last year we consumed approximately 59-60 billion cubic meters of natural gas," Dönmez stated, as per the Anadolu news agency. 

The Turkish Energy Minister further stated that the country would be able to use natural gas from the Black Sea discovery from March 2023.

Research on natural gas discovery in Black Sea to be finished in 2023: Turkey

During his recent visit to Russia's Sochi city on August 5, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and agreed to pay in rubles for the natural gas. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Dönmez stated that payment through Turkish lira is also a possibility. According to Dönmez, research on the natural gas discovery in the Black Sea is still ongoing and moving forward with plans to be finished in 2023. He said there are works to be done on land as well, adding that at least 10 wells will be dug in the first phase. 

"The well completion works are underway. There are also works that are being done on the sea floor. It is almost as if we are establishing an energy base 2,200 meters below the Black Sea. 120 kilometres of deep-sea pipe laying has been completed are about 50 kilometres are still remaining. In the first quarter of 2023, in March, we will hopefully have burned this gas on land," Turkish Energy Minister Dönmez remarked. Russia supplies natural gas to Turkey through two significant pipelines - Blue Stream and TurkStream. The pipelines that run beneath the Black Sea have an annual gas capacity of more than 46 billion cubic metres.

Image: AP