Due to a number of recent economic steps, Turkey has increased its gas reserves for the winter season. Turkey, which used to receive gas from Russia through the South Stream and later the Turkish Stream across the Black Sea due to military tensions, has chosen alternative routes to further increase its energy supply potential.

Today, Turkey has reduced one of its worries by signing a new agreement with brotherly Azerbaijan on a three-year gas supply to be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said that after the agreement was signed, the pipeline would supply Turkey with 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2024. According to the minister, Turkey has also preserved the country's additional gas reserves.

A comparative approach also shows that Turkey, unlike Europe, does not want to be dependent only on Russia for gas supplies. For example, while Europe is now anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Nord Stream 2 project, Turkey no longer cares much about the future of the Turkish Stream pipeline. It also strengthens Turkey's ability to make free political decisions in the region and the rest of the world.

Turkey, which used to receive gas from Russia via South Stream, was cut off from gas supplies in November 2015 as a result of the shooting down of Russian fighter jets. However, the resumption of relations between the two countries in 2016 led to the launch of the Turkish Stream project in October 2016. Despite all this, Turkey, which has always clashed with Russia in the region, does not want to suffer the fate of Europe, and therefore always tries to activate alternative plans.

As for the agreement, the Minister said that the gas to be purchased from Azerbaijan is intended mainly for winter reserves. The Minister noted that the possibility of a severe winter ahead has increased the demand for gas. Fatih Donmez also stressed that by signing this agreement, Turkey got rid of "going through a narrow bottle neck".

It should be noted that Turkey, which imports the most natural gas in Europe, mostly rely on Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, as well as Nigeria and Algeria for liquefied natural gas. Regarding the signed agreement, Azerbaijani officials said that gas supplies to Turkey will be increased in the future. In addition, Turkey, which received gas from the Shah Deniz 1 field, the largest offshore in Azerbaijan until the contract had expired by April this year, has renewed the contract, with a large-scale gas import agreement.

Elnur Enveroglu