Türkiye has proposed building a $1.2 billion fuel pipeline for military use to strengthen NATO’s energy supply network on the alliance’s eastern flank, the Defense Ministry confirmed on May 20.
“Our project is five times more cost-effective than its alternatives and, if approved, will become operational in a much shorter period,” the ministry said in a statement issued after its weekly briefing.
The project is intended to support NATO efforts to improve fuel logistics following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing instability in the Middle East, including recent disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
First reported by Bloomberg, Türkiye’s offer comes as it prepares to host a NATO summit in July, where alliance members are expected to discuss measures to reinforce military infrastructure and supply resilience.
According to ministry officials, the proposed route pledges advantages over other plans that rely more heavily on maritime transport through Greece or Romania’s western neighbors, which they described as more vulnerable to disruptions.
Officials said the project would improve “fuel sustainment and interoperability” among NATO allies and allow the alliance to use common funds “economically and effectively.”
The ministry said recent geopolitical developments highlighted the need for a more resilient and affordable fuel supply chain for NATO’s eastern members.
Türkiye is seeking support from allies ahead of a potential decision on the proposal before or during the summit, Bloomberg quoted anonymous officials as saying.
The project aligns with broader efforts by eastern European allies, including Poland and Romania, to extend NATO’s Cold War-era fuel pipeline system farther east.
Originally designed to supply allied forces during wartime, NATO’s pipeline network currently extends only as far as Germany. The system includes around 10,000 kilometers of pipelines across 12 NATO countries and has a fuel storage capacity of 4.1 million cubic meters.
The network connects storage depots, military air bases, civil airports, pumping stations, rail and truck loading stations, refineries and fuel entry points. It consists of eight national pipeline systems and two multinational systems, alongside additional fuel infrastructure in several eastern and southern European NATO members.
The ministry’s statement came after Germany said it will deploy a Patriot missile air defense battery to Türkiye as part of a NATO rotation.
About 150 soldiers currently based in the northern city of Husum would move with a Patriot anti-missile system to Türkiye from the end of June to September, Berlin said on May 18.
The move is part of a rotation that will relieve an American unit currently on deployment, it added.
“Germany is taking more responsibility within NATO,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
“The close work our soldiers are carrying out with our Turkish and American partners shows how reliably we cooperate with our allies.”
The Patriot is an American-made mobile air-defense system designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, low-flying cruise missiles and aircraft.
The U.S. unit had been moved to boost Turkish defenses in response to Iranian rocket attacks that hit American allies in the region after the United States and Israel launched their war on Tehran at the end of February.
NATO forces have downed Iranian ballistic missiles over Türkiye at least three times since war started.
