As Europe shivers, Türkiye and Turkmenistan ink landmark gas deal

Türkiye and Turkmenistan have finalised a landmark natural gas supply agreement after long negotiations, marking a significant development in energy cooperation between the two nations.

The deal, signed between Türkiye's state pipeline company BOTAS and Turkmenistan's state gas company Turkmengaz, will see Turkmen gas flowing to Türkiye starting March 1, 2025, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Monday.

The agreement follows diplomatic groundwork laid during a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in March 2024, where both countries expressed intent to strengthen energy cooperation.

"We have taken a historic step in Türkiye-Turkmenistan energy cooperation," Bayraktar said in a social media post.

"This agreement will strengthen our country's and region's natural gas supply security while advancing strategic cooperation between the two nations."

The negotiations gained momentum following Energy Minister Bayraktar's visit to Turkmenistan in July 2024, where he emphasised the strong political will at the presidential level to finalise the deal.

The agreement represents a strategic breakthrough in Türkiye's efforts to diversify its energy sources and potentially establish itself as a key transit route for Turkmen gas to Western markets.

Turkmenistan, home to some of the world's largest natural gas reserves, has been seeking to expand its export routes.

Technical and legal frameworks have been established to facilitate the gas flow, though specific details about supply volumes and pricing were not immediately disclosed.

The deal comes as Türkiye continues to position itself as a regional energy hub, leveraging its strategic location between major energy producers and European consumers.

Falling gas reserves in the EU member states have raised alarm bells as the bloc struggles to arrange sufficient supplies in the wake of the disruption of gas flows from Russia.