TurkStream is the working title of a gas pipeline project from the Russian Federation to Turkey across the Black Sea. For the first time, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced its construction on December 1, 2014, during a state visit to Ankara. This project appeared instead of the previously canceled South Stream. The official name of the new gas pipeline has not yet been chosen.
History
The first gas transportation project between the Russian Federation and Turkey was called Blue Stream and was officially approved in 2005. Later, the parties came to an agreement on its expansion. The new project was called "South Stream". In 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed laying another line of the gas pipeline, parallel to the one built in 2005. It was supposed to connect Samsun and Ceyhan, and then cross Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.
Failure of South Stream
In December 2014, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was abandoning the old project due tounconstructive position of the European Union. This was primarily due to the position of Bulgaria. The head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, confirmed on the same day that there would be no return to South Stream. Some experts said that the abandonment of the project is primarily due to the fall in prices for hydrocarbons on the world market. However, two months later, Alexei Borisovich met with the Turkish Minister for Energy and Natural Resources. During Miller's visit to Ankara, the Turkish Stream project was formed.
A new kind of interaction
“Turkish Stream” is a gas pipeline that should start at the Russian compressor station. It is located near the resort town of Anapa. In February 2015, the head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, and the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildaiz, announced that the city of Kiyiköy in the northwestern province of Kirklareli would be the final destination. Two pipe-laying vessels were sent to the Black Sea. However, negotiations between the two countries were never completed.
Turkish Stream: route
The length of the new gas pipeline was supposed to leave 910 kilometers. It was supposed to use the South Stream infrastructure. This is about 660 kilometers. The rest was to pass through the European part of Turkey. In February 2015, Miller and Yildiz determined a new route. "Turkish Stream" - a gas pipeline that was supposed to connect the Russian Anapa and the Turkish Kiyiköy. During the meeting, representatives of both sides flew around all the keywaypoints by helicopter. The pipeline was supposed to land on land in the city of Kiyiköf, the gas delivery point was to be Luleburgaz, and the hub is located on the Turkish-Greek border in the Ipsala area. A few months later, a declaration on energy cooperation was signed. In addition to Russia and Turkey, such states as Greece, Serbia, Macedonia and Hungary acted as parties.
Gas pipeline characteristics
“Turkish Stream” was conceived as a project to conquer the European market bypassing Ukraine. A hub was supposed to be created on the border of Greece. From it, gas was to be sent to other European countries. Its planned capacity was 63 billion cubic meters per year. Of these, only 14 were intended for consumption by Turkey. However, from the very beginning, the European Commission said that supply exceeded demand. According to the Russian side, the Turkish Stream is needed to diversify gas supplies to Europe. Its construction is due to the unreliability of such transit states as Ukraine.
Russian gas strategy
Resource diversification is an important part of any smart strategy. It is important for the European Union to have several gas suppliers. Initially, South Stream was built with the expectation of stabilizing the situation in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait. The demand for fuel continues to grow, by 2030 it is expected to increase by almost a third. The Turkish Stream, whose capacity exceeds today's demand, was built by Russia precisely incounting on it. Thus, the gas strategy of the Russian Federation includes the following three points:
- Protection of own markets and reduction of transit risks due to unreliability of third parties.
- Search for new consumers in Europe.
- Blocking competitors' efforts.
The implementation of such a project as the Turkish Stream means for Russia the strengthening of its position in the world. However, there can be both pluses and minuses in strengthening interaction between the two countries. The new gas pipeline could turn Turkey into a powerful transit player. And she can use the newfound opportunities to her advantage. Russia's task is to find a balance in its relations with Turkey.
Modern Issues
In 2014, the Russian government announced the need to build the Kuban-Crimea gas pipeline. This should help in the energy supply of the peninsula. In November 2015, the construction of the Turkish Stream was officially suspended. This is due to the destruction of the Russian Su-24 military aircraft in Syria. The Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation said that the Turkish Stream and a number of other investment and trade agreements would be canceled due to the actions of the former partner state's air force. It is still too early to talk about the possibility of resuming construction, as experts are still analyzing the situation. The benefits for both sides outweigh the disadvantages, so it is likely that the parties will be able to negotiate in the future.
