Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey seeks to finalize an offshore energy exploration agreement with Syria in 2026, according to Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, who on Monday revealed details on a deal that could inflame tensions with neighboring countries in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.
In an interview with Turkish digital news platform GDH published Dec. 29, Bayraktar said Ankara and Damascus have established a general framework agreement on energy cooperation and hope to soon finalize a specific offshore exploration pact — a move likely to unsettle Greece and Cyprus amid long-running maritime disputes.
The comments come as energy cooperation has become a central pillar of Turkey’s deepening engagement with post-Assad Syria, potentially helping Ankara counter its regional isolation and paving the way for a broader maritime exclusive economic zone arrangement with Damascus.
Details: Bayraktar indicated the two countries have taken steps toward formalizing offshore cooperation, though he stressed that exploration activity may not be imminent.
