Turkey succeeds in becoming energy hub

Matthew Bryza: Turkey succeeds in becoming energy hub

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.11 / Trend A. Badalova /

Turkey succeeded in becoming an energy hub, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza told in an interview with Hurriyet Daily News.

“It [Turkey] has gas coming from Iraq, Azerbaijan and Russia, [and will] eventually [get it] from northern Iraq,” Mr Bryza said.

Mr Bryza noted Turkey’s aspiration was to be a link for its strategic brothers in Azerbaijan and Central Asia with Europe.

“It can be both. A hub is a link. The question is for Turkey to decide how much it wants to play a strategic role as a link or how much it wants to be at the centerpiece, he said. My hope is that Turkey will think first and foremost about the importance to Europe … to have a diversified flow of gas from Central Asia and think of its partners that look to Turkey as their strategic link to Europe …”

Turkey is considered one of the main players in the Southern Gas Corridor projects, which aims to diversify energy supply routes and sources and, therefore, increase energy security of the European countries.

Gas, which will be produced during the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field development, is considered the main supply source for these projects.

In October, 2011 Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a number of key gas export related agreements to enable Turkey to buy gas from Azerbaijan and to transit Azerbaijan gas through Turkey to Europe.

The agreements provide a legal framework to regulate the sale of Shah Deniz gas to Turkey and its transportation to European markets through Turkey.

Azerbaijan plans to export 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe within the Shah Deniz 2 project.

via Matthew Bryza: Turkey succeeds in becoming energy hub – Trend.