Turkish Stream no match for TANAP, ambassador says

The Turkish Stream gas pipeline project to be realized jointly with Russia can’t in any way compete with TANAP, Turkey’s ambassador in Azerbaijan, Ismail Alper Coskun told Trend March 16.

He said so far the parties are only negotiating on the possibility of realizing the Turkish Stream project. The ambassador also underscored that the project is being closely followed in Azerbaijan, which is normal.

Speaking about TANAP, Coskun said it is a project that involves Turkey as well, that is, Turkey is the second partner after BP in the Shah Deniz project.

“On the other hand, the share of BOTAS [Turkey’s Petroleum Pipeline Corporation] in the TANAP project has increased, that is, in this project, Turkey is the second main partner after SOCAR,” he said. “In this sense, it is wrong to compare TANAP with another project.”

Coskun also believes that TANAP is a project in which Turkey demonstrates its entire political and economic potential.

The ambassador said that the TANAP project’s groundbreaking ceremony will be held in Kars on March 17.

"We attach importance to this project,” he said. “The work will be conducted faster than planned. The Turkish Stream can not adversely affect the TANAP project implementation.”

“Russia proposed the Turkish Stream project,” he said. “Turkey made an offer to Russia during BOTAS-Gazprom negotiations on this issue. It offered the Russian side to build a gas pipeline to Turkey across the Black Sea.”

"Russia was informed during the negotiations that Turkey will establish a joint company with Russia when the project reaches Turkish territory,” the ambassador said. “But Russia is fully charged with the construction of a gas pipeline across the Black Sea to Turkey. Turkey does not interfere in this issue either economically or on any other side."

He said that the Turkish Stream envisages the construction of four pipelines - one for gas purchased by Turkey from Russia, the other three pipelines are designed for the European market.

The TANAP project envisages the transportation of gas of Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field from the Georgian-Turkish border to the western borders of Turkey.

TANAP’s initial capacity is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest of the volume to Europe.

Turkey will obtain gas in 2018. The gas will be supplied to Europe in early 2020 after the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is constructed.

/By Trend/