Trans-Anatolian Will Put Greater Emphasis on Other Pipelines

A planned pipeline across Turkey will put greater emphasis on other pipeline projects after its implementation, the Turkish Energy Minister has said.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz told reporters that, before the new project between Turkey and Azerbaijan, the other projects had seemed "doubtful". The success of the Trans-Anatolian project will change that, he said.

"The application of such projects as Nabucco, ITGI and TAP seemed doubtful," he told reporters. "However after a new gas pipeline is built between Turkey and Azerbaijan, the issue of the implementation of these projects will have more emphasis."

He also said that the new pipeline will reduce the cost of these other projects.

Yesterday, State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) president Rovnag Abdullayev announced the commencement of the Trans-Anatolian  project to the media. 

He said that the pipeline "will not affect the Nabucco project."

The new pipeline will carry gas supply from the eastern border of the Anatolian border of Turkey to the western side at a construction cost of between $5-6 billion. It will have a capacity of approximately 16-17 billion cubic metres, a SOCAR official said.