Gas deal cancellation won’t affect Turkey-Russia relations, Minister says

PanARMENIAN.Net - The cancellation of the natural gas supply deal with Russia doesn’t mean natural gas purchases from Russia will stop, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said.

The state-owned Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, or BOTAŞ, has canceled a natural gas supply deal with Russia’s Gazprom after failing to agree on discounts. Turkey buys nearly 16 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia every year via the Blue Stream pipeline, a contract for which was set to expire 23 years later. A smaller contract between the parties is for 8 billion cubic meters. The cancellation, however, means Turkey loses supply for some 15 percent of its gas needs.

“Russia is the most important country for our natural gas imports. Our annual natural gas import from three channels in Russia is nearly 30 billion cubic meters,” Yıldız said. “Our annual natural gas consumption is nearly 37 billion cubic meters. On the other hand, Turkey is able to import 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas under its agreements.”

Yıldız also said the decision would end or cause any problems between Ankara and Moscow, whose “strategic relationship cannot be affected by a few contracts,” Hurriyet Daily News reported.