Türkiye in talks on four-country electricity link

RIYADH

Türkiye is discussing an electricity transmission link with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria to strengthen regional energy cooperation, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Oct. 12.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency at the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, Bayraktar said cooperation between countries had become increasingly important as global energy markets faced crisis and uncertainty.

He said Türkiye also sought to expand energy ties with Libya, Iraq, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Bayraktar called for greater use of existing infrastructure, including the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), TurkStream, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline.

“We want to make full use of our existing pipelines and infrastructure,” he said, calling for the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline’s capacity of 1.5 million barrels a day to be fully utilized.

Türkiye was also looking to use available capacity on TANAP to carry additional gas to the country and onward to Europe, he said.

Investments in liquefied natural gas terminals offered further opportunities to increase imports and supply European markets.

Bayraktar said Türkiye’s energy projects aimed both to meet domestic needs and to contribute to supply security in the region and Europe.

Despite the global turmoil, Türkiye had experienced no disruptions to oil or petroleum product supplies, he said.

Developments affecting major producers, including Venezuela, Russia and Iran, were putting pressure on markets, while price volatility was affecting economies worldwide.

He warned that prolonged energy supply disruptions could have serious consequences for the global economy and called for stronger international cooperation.

A more balanced market would depend on easing regional tensions and ending the war, he added.

Bayraktar also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks on civilian airports, saying Türkiye stood alongside the Saudi people and wanted the attacks to end.