Report: Turkey starts to amend laws for Russia’s gas hub

ANKARA, Apr 10 (PRIME) -- Turkey has initiated amendments to legislation in preparation for Russia’s gas hub project, Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said in an interview to CNN Turk broadcast on April 8.

“We have a chance to become an important center of (gas) trade with the Eastern European countries. We took steps to achieve that. As soon as the president approves amendments to the bill approved by parliament, a new legal framework will be set. The old law stipulated rules for the internal market, and it was restrictive. The new law will provide more freedom,” Donmez said.

Turkey consumes 50–60 billion cubic meters of natural gas, but it could import up to 100 billion cubic meters, refine it, and pump into the pipeline system. This means it would be able to export 40% of the amount to the neighbors, he said.

Turkey wants to export gas to Europe together with Azerbaijan through a joint company created by the national companies of the two countries BOTAS and SOCAR, he said.

Donmez also said that Russia covers about 30% of Turkey’s gas demand. Previously, he said that Ankara paid for some Russian natural gas in rubles, and that it was negotiating the price.

“We are signing the necessary agreements. We will be more confident in this plan as soon as consumption of national gas (produced in the Black Sea) starts. We receive about one third, or around 30%, of the gas we need from Russia. We also receive gas from Azerbaijan and Iran,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the governments of both countries in 2022 to work on creation of a gas hub in Turkey. The hub could be used to transfer transit of gas from Russia's Nord Stream pipelines to the Black Sea region, and Erdogan thinks that Europe could receive Russian gas through Turkey.

Donmez also said that the Akkuyu nuclear power plant being built together with Russia would cover 10% of Turkey’s power consumption.

“The first fresh nuclear fuel will get here on April 27. Production of power will start a year after the nuclear fuel comes. It was a dream of the century. It will satisfy about 10% of Turkey’s demand for power after all the four reactors have been built. Construction of reactors will be finished within one year of each other,” he said.

End