Türkiye will build a natural gas pipeline extending to Turkish Cyprus, with the project expected to become operational in 2028, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has announced.
“We are working on two major projects to meet the energy needs of Northern Cyprus,” Bayraktar told private broadcaster A Haber over the weekend.
“One of them is the establishment of an electricity transmission line between Türkiye and the island, while the other is a natural gas pipeline project.”
Bayraktar noted that Turkish Cyprus still relies on fossil fuels for electricity generation, adding that Ankara is accelerating new energy investments in a bid to reduce environmental impacts and strengthen supply security.
According to the minister, the planned natural gas pipeline will stretch approximately 97 kilometers between Türkiye and Turkish Cyprus, starting from the southern Turkish district of Alanya and extending to the northern part of the ethnically-divided island.
“Our goal is to complete the engineering work within this year,” Bayraktar said. “After that, we aim to commission the project in 2028.”
Beyond meeting the domestic energy needs of Turkish Cyprus, the project is also intended to support the future transportation of potential Eastern Mediterranean gas discoveries to Europe via Türkiye.
Bayraktar said that, in the longer term, a reverse-flow system could allow Eastern Mediterranean gas to be delivered from Turkish Cyprus to Türkiye and onward to European markets.
The minister also said that Türkiye has long been working on a cable project aimed at supplying electricity to Turkish Cyprus.
Noting that the island, located some 70 to 80 kilometers from Türkiye, has seen rising electricity demand, Bayraktar said that occasional problems have been experienced in ensuring supply security.
His remarks came after Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz visited Turkish Cyprus last week and held talks with Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel.
During the visit, Yılmaz announced that a memorandum of understanding on the subsea natural gas pipeline project will be signed in June, to be followed by an intergovernmental agreement between the two sides.
