Energy deals may make Turkey irreversibly reliant on Moscow
Despite the celebratory sentiment in Ankara after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit, Turkey’s energy dependence on Russia is bound to further increase with nuclear power plant projects.
The fifth summit of the Turkey-Russia High Level Cooperation Council, held in Ankara on Dec. 1, ended with the signing of agreements and an astounding announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader said the South Stream pipeline project, which was to carry Russian natural gas to Europe through a conduit running under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and then Austria, had been dropped and the new route would run via Turkey.
Most energy and strategy pundits commented that Turkey had emerged as a winner from the controversy.
The new route replacing the South Stream will mean a third gas link between Turkey and Russia. The first of the two existing conduits reaches Turkey’s Thrace region via Ukraine and Bulgaria. The second one, known as the Blue Stream, runs under the Black Sea to Turkey’s northern port of Samsun and then down to Ceyhan at the Mediterranean. According to 2013 figures by the Energy Markets Regulation Board, Turkey imports 98% of the natural gas it uses. Russia alone supplies 58% of that amount.
Yet, an aspect that makes the situation even worse is often being overlooked: Apart from the third route that will raise Turkey’s gas dependence on Russia to about 70%, Turkey will be dependent on Russia also in nuclear energy. Turkey’s energy imports from Russia account for much of the some $30-billion trade volume between the countries.
