Turkey’s energy minister to visit Israel as talks advance on gas transfers to Europe

The Turkish energy minister says his country’s priority is to bring Israeli gas to Turkey.
Media film and photograph the Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on August 9, 2022 before it leaves for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, in south of the city of Gazipasa. - Turkey on August 9, 2022 sent its newest drill ship on the first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in nearly two years. The search for natural gas in energy-rich waters around the divided island of Cyprus has turned into an irritant in Turkey's ties with the Euro
Media film and photograph the Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on August 9, 2022 before it leaves for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, in south of the city of Gazipasa. - ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images
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ANKARA — Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday that he was planning to visit Israel for talks to bring Israeli gas to Turkey. 

“We intend to discuss this issue face to face with both our counterpart Israeli Energy Minister and with companies that operate in this field,” Bayraktar told Turkey’s NTV television.

A senior source in the Israel Energy Ministry confirmed to Al-Monitor that the visit is set to take place, but said the date hasn’t been finalized yet.

Bayraktar added that Ankara sees it as a priority to bring Israeli gas to Turkey. “Carrying the gas to Europe via Turkey is solely a part of the scope. Essential is Israeli gas coming to Turkey,” Bayraktar said, adding that Turkey wasn’t positioning itself as just a transit country.

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