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Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that Türkiye has connected its natural gas network to Syria's pipeline system and will soon begin supplying gas to the neighboring country.
"We have now connected our gas network to the Syrian network. We will soon supply gas to Syria, perhaps they will partner with us for this project and in this way we can provide gas for electricity generation in Syria," Bayraktar said at the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna.
The minister spoke during a panel titled "Oil Markets: Energy Security, Growth and Prosperity" alongside energy ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, and India.
Bayraktar outlined Türkiye's energy strategy focusing on supply security, affordable pricing, and decarbonization. "By the middle of the century, the Turkish economy will be a carbon-neutral economy," he stated.
The minister explained that these three factors support the implementation of more diverse and balanced policies in the energy sector. He emphasized that renewable energy is among the key focus areas for Türkiye's energy transformation.
Bayraktar described Türkiye's ambitious renewable energy program, announcing plans to quadruple solar and wind energy capacity over the next decade. The country targets reaching 120 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2035.
"We have an ambitious program in renewable energy. In the next decade, we aim to increase solar and wind energy capacity by four times to reach 120 gigawatts in 2035," Bayraktar said.
The minister noted that Türkiye also has comprehensive and long-term oil and gas programs in place to support its energy security goals.
Bayraktar highlighted Türkiye's historic natural gas discovery in the Black Sea in 2020, noting that gas production from the field has already begun. Currently, 4 million Turkish households receive natural gas from this source.
"We will double this number next year. In 2028, we will quadruple Black Sea production, thus we will supply gas to 16 million households in Türkiye from this field," Bayraktar announced.
The minister also mentioned that production of oil and gas resources through unconventional methods will begin, referencing an agreement signed with American companies for southeastern Türkiye.
Bayraktar later noted Türkiye's investment in both domestic and regional energy security through pipeline connections with neighboring markets. The country aims to strengthen these connections through oil and gas pipelines.
"We want to develop infrastructure to enable more liquefied natural gas (LNG) entry into Türkiye, and Türkiye carries this to the European market as well," Bayraktar explained.
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Regarding energy transmission to Syria, Bayraktar expressed optimism about the partnership's impact on Syrian reconstruction. "We will soon supply gas to Syria, perhaps they will partner with us for this project and in this way we can provide gas for electricity generation in Syria," he said.
"I hope life in Syria will normalize. I think connection and infrastructure investment are quite important," Bayraktar concluded, highlighting the significance of cross-border energy cooperation for regional stability.
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