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Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) signed an agreement Friday to build the first subsea natural gas pipeline linking the two, bringing Northern Cyprus a step closer to using natural gas.
The planned 101-kilometer (62.8 miles) pipeline will run from Anamur on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast to the Tekneci region of Northern Cyprus, stretching 97 kilometers offshore and another 4 kilometers on land, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced at the signing ceremony.
The memorandum was signed by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel in the presence of senior officials from both sides.
Natural gas transported through the pipeline will primarily be used for electricity generation, with Bayraktar describing it as a cornerstone of the TRNC's energy transition.
"The pipeline will be a key component of Northern Cyprus' energy transition and energy security. It will help ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and further strengthen the strategic cooperation between our countries," he said.
The project includes transmission pipelines, receiving terminals and supporting facilities that will give Northern Cyprus access to natural gas for the first time, opening the way for broader industrial use alongside electricity production.
The system will consist of two 22-inch pipelines designed to operate in both directions. While gas will initially flow from Türkiye to Northern Cyprus, the infrastructure could eventually carry gas from Cyprus to Türkiye and onward to Europe if new offshore reserves are developed.
"With the natural gas we will bring, we believe the TRNC will achieve an abundance of electricity," Bayraktar said, calling the initiative a "historic project" that could become "the project of the century" for Northern Cyprus.
Ustel described the memorandum as a strategic step that will shape the TRNC's energy future and support economic growth.
"We are not leaving the future of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to chance. We will build a strong energy infrastructure. We will support production. We will increase investment. We will expand employment. We will prepare a strong future where our young people can live with hope in their own country," he said.
Pointing to the existing undersea freshwater pipeline from Türkiye, Ustel said attention will next turn to a planned electricity cable linking the two sides. Although feasibility studies have been completed, approval from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) is still pending.
"With a new pipeline, we are bringing natural gas from our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, to our country. Here, neither the Greek Cypriot Administration nor Europe stands in our way," Ustel said.
Yilmaz described the agreement as the start of work on an undersea gas link connecting Türkiye and the TRNC, saying it builds on years of infrastructure cooperation.
"With this memorandum, we are launching work on the natural gas pipeline that will connect our countries under the sea," Yilmaz said.
"With the introduction of natural gas, a new era will begin, primarily in electricity generation, while energy supply security will be further strengthened and significant contributions will be made to economic development and competitiveness."
He called meeting the TRNC's energy needs a strategic priority and pledged continued support for projects that strengthen its infrastructure and economy.
Yilmaz noted that Türkiye has already delivered 330 million cubic meters of water to the island through the undersea freshwater pipeline, expanded irrigation across 1,873 hectares in the Guzelyurt Plain, invested about ₺28 billion ($595.9 million) in infrastructure, and built more than 850 kilometers of roads along with new government and healthcare facilities.
He added that Türkiye has deployed seven mobile power plants with a combined installed capacity of 175 megawatts at the Teknecik power station, provided more than ₺8 billion in support to the energy sector over the past five years, and allocated another ₺560 million for energy projects in 2026.
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