Türkiye maintains a supply network of more than 10 different countries for its natural gas imports, a strategy that Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar credits with providing the nation with immense operational flexibility.
“It also gives us the opportunity to procure natural gas at competitive prices…As well as the opportunity to export surplus natural gas,” Alparslan said during an interview with private broadcaster Ülke TV.
He reiterated that Türkiye has no LNG imports from Basra or via the Strait of Hormuz. “In this regard, Türkiye is safe,” the minister added.
In 2016, Türkiye’s LNG terminal capacity was 30 million cubic meters, but it now stands at 160 million cubic meters, an increase of more than fivefold, Bayraktar noted.
“We will increase this to 200 million cubic meters. We will further strengthen our capacity by constructing an FSRU in Dörtyol and possibly in the Antalya Gulf,” he said.
“We have significantly increased Türkiye’s underground storage capacity. Through the capacity expansion at Silivri, our Tuz Gölü projects and their new phases, Türkiye is developing the capability to store up to 12 billion cubic meters, or even 15 billion cubic meters,” Bayraktar added.
Currently, Türkiye’s storage facilities are 71-72 percent full, he said.
Bayraktar also noted that approximately 10 percent of Türkiye’s oil and petroleum product imports come from the Gulf region.
“Ten percent is a volume we can manage and tolerate. There doesn’t seem to be any issue regarding supply security,” he said.
