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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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) walks past a photographer at the Botas gas pumping station in Durusu near Turkey's Black Sea city of Samsun, November 17, 2005 during the inauguration of a gas pipeline "Blue Stream" carrying Russian gas to Turkey through Black Sea. REUTERS/Mustafa Ozer/Pool - RTR1B7TH

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.

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