Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said Türkiye and Azerbaijan aim to strengthen their cooperation in the energy sector through new projects. Bayraktar said the two countries were developing more predictable, diversified and intensive energy partnerships amid an environment in which global crises have become persistent.
Bayraktar said energy cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan had advanced through projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP and TAP. He said that, as of this year, 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas had flowed through TANAP, adding that the pipeline makes a significant contribution to Europe's supply security.
Existing pipeline capacity will be increased
Bayraktar said Azerbaijan stands out in oil and natural gas production and is also advancing toward becoming an electricity producer. He said Türkiye has growing energy needs, connections to Europe and the capacity to transport energy from the region to different markets.
Emphasizing that the two countries have complementary strengths, Bayraktar said new projects were being developed in line with the shared vision set out by their presidents.
Bayraktar said the priority was to make full use of the capacity of existing projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and TANAP. He said 600,000 barrels of oil flowed daily through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, whose capacity is 1 million barrels.
Bayraktar said crude oil from Central Asia and other parts of the Turkic world should also be transported through this pipeline. He added that similar work could be carried out in the natural gas sector.
Three major electricity projects
Bayraktar said three major electricity projects were on the agenda: an electricity transmission line that would extend to Türkiye through Nakhchivan, the Türkiye-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Bulgaria quadruple green energy corridor, and an electricity transmission line that would reach Europe beneath the Black Sea.
Energy and mining cooperation with Turkic states
Bayraktar said the cooperation model between Türkiye and Azerbaijan could also be developed with other Turkic states. He said Turkmenistan has significant natural gas resources, while Kazakhstan has high oil production capacity.
Bayraktar said the Turkic states have significant mineral resources and production capacities, adding that Kazakhstan is among the world's major uranium suppliers.
Bayraktar said the industrial strength of Türkiye, its growing electricity and energy demand, and its access to different markets, together with energy- and mining-producing countries, provide a basis for joint projects. He said the aim was to turn this potential into larger projects through joint efforts.
