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Energy Turkey Oil & Gas

Turkey Seeks Deal on Turkmen Gas

Turkey is at the final stage of negotiations on an agreement to transit Turkmen gas, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar has announced in an interview with Bloomberg. Bayraktar said that “Turkey is studying the possibility of importing gas from Turkmenistan through a gas swap via neighboring Iran,” adding that a final agreement could be reached during an upcoming visit to Turkmenistan. It is expected that gas supplies from Turkmenistan will be carried through Iran in the amount of 1.5-2 billion cubic meters per year. In addition, the Minister did not rule out the possibility of using the Iran-Azerbaijan gas pipeline to deliver “blue fuel” to Turkey, from where it will be pumped into the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP). In March of this year, Ashgabat and Ankara signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of natural. In early June, the state oil company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Turkish state gas company, Botas signed a cooperation agreement to supply Turkmen gas through Azerbaijan and third countries to Turkey.

Turkey Gas

Turkish Vice President: Turkmen Gas Supplies Via Turkey Will Help Ensure Energy Security in Europe

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has said that Turkmen gas supplies through Turkey will contribute to the country's national welfare and ensure Europe's energy security. This was said during his speech at the informal summit of member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Azerbaijan. "The transportation of trans-Caspian resources, especially Turkmen natural gas, to Turkey and Europe will contribute to our national welfare and security. We are pleased with establishing an energy mechanism within the framework of the OTG and the publication of contact projects," Yılmaz said. According to him, the Organization will further strengthen ties between Turkic states as the world's economic centers of gravity change and the importance of Turkic geography increases. "The work that will be done in our countries to develop the Middle Corridor will both strengthen our cooperation and show the global role of the Turkic world," the Vice President emphasized.

Turkey Security Economy Economic Cooperation

Uzbekistan and Turkey to Develop Military and Technical Cooperation

On June 26, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received a delegation headed by the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Yashar Guler, who was in Tashkent on a business visit, the President of Uzbekistan's press service has reported. Considering the agreements reached during Mirziyoyev's high-level visit to Ankara on June 5-6, urgent issues of deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Turkey were discussed. Prospects for developing military and military-technical cooperation, including strengthening close interdepartmental relations, organizing joint events, training military specialists, and other issues, were discussed. Special attention was paid to strengthening and coordinating cooperation in security and fighting terrorism, extremism, and radicalism. The delegations exchanged views on ensuring peace and stability in the region, including Afghanistan.

Oil & Gas

Erdogan: Turkmenistan Gas Exports to Turkey “Only a Matter of Time”

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that it is "only a matter of time" before gas from Turkmenistan is exported to Turkey and Europe through the expanded Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project. “Our long-standing cooperation, crowned with infrastructure investments such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines, and TANAP, has not only benefited Turkey and Azerbaijan but has also made significant contributions to the energy security of the region and Europe,” Erdogan said at the International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku. Two gas routes from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan are being reported. The Turkish Daily Sabah reports that this plan involves transporting gas by sea on gas carrying ships. Upstream, citing experts, reports that SOCAR will start negotiations with Turkmenistan on the resumption of gas supply through Iran under the exchange scheme. On June 4th, Turkey’s Botas Petroleum Pipeline and Azerbaijan’s SOCAR also signed agreements to promote an intergovernmental deal calling for cooperation on natural gas issues reached in May. In one of the five signed contracts, Botash and SOCAR must jointly organize the natural gas supply from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan and then through Turkey to other countries.

Turkey Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Welcomes Turkish Investors

On 25 April, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov visited Ankara where he met President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed investment cooperation with leading Turkish companies, and attended a Kazakh-Turkish business forum. Turkey is one of Kazakhstan’s five largest trading partners and one of the top 20 investors in the Kazakh economy. The two countries’ governments are currently engaged in maintaining bilateral trade worth $10 billion. Looking ahead, Kazakhstan plans to increase its export of 34 products, primarily from metallurgical, petrochemical, food, and engineering industries, valued at over $630 million. Over the past year, the volume of freight transported by rail and road increased by 40%. Kazakhstan and Turkey have now set a target for a further threefold increase by developing the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). At the business forum, over 500 representatives of the Turkish business community were informed of Kazakhstan’s investment climate and government support for investors. It was stated that Kazakhstan and Turkey are currently implementing some 100 joint investment projects costing about $3.8 billion. Addressing Turkish businesses, Bektenov emphasized Kazakhstan’s enormous investment potential and interest in furthering mutually beneficial cooperation with Turkey, stating, “Kazakhstan’s key aims are transferring advanced technologies, localizing production and creating advanced processing clusters to produce high-quality products with high added value. Investors who are ready to cooperate in this direction will be provided with the necessary resources, infrastructure, and support.” At the close of the business forum, 10 commercial contracts were signed and totalling over $180 million, included a memorandum on the export of finished products, as well as the construction of a logistics hub and factories producing soda ash, sprinkler equipment, nonwoven materials, and assembly of irrigation equipment.

Russia Migration Security Turkey Tajikistan

Turkey Cancels Visa-Free Regime for Citizens of Tajikistan

From 20 April, citizens of Tajikistan will have to obtain a visa to travel to the Republic of Turkey. That's according to a decree signed by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The reasons for this decision remain unclear, but it's noted that the visa regime is a temporary measure. Entry documents will be issued in Dushanbe and at other Turkish diplomatic missions. Those traveling through Turkey in transit will not require a visa. Tajik Foreign Ministry spokesman, Shohin Samadi, said as of April 6, Dushanbe had not received an official notification from Turkey regarding the introduction of a visa regime. Nevertheless, he said, the issue of retaliatory measures for Turkish citizens is being worked out. Up until this juncture, residents of the two countries could stay on the territory of the other for up to 30 days without a visa. Some Russian media rushed to link these innovations with the March 2024 terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall, which killed 144 people and injured 551. Among the 11 people arrested on suspicion of the terrorist attack, the majority are citizens of Tajikistan. According to various sources, the cell of Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan - also known as "Wilayat Khorasan" - which claimed responsibility for the incident, was training terrorists inside of Turkey. To that point, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet wrote that two supporters of ISIS who were planning to carry out a attack were detained in Istanbul. Among them was a 37-year-old citizen of Tajikistan. On March 26, Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said that 147 people were detained on suspicion of links with the terrorist organization. Following the attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Tajiks in Russia faced a wave of aggression and hatred. Tajikistan's Government is urging its citizens to avoid traveling to Russia unless necessary, and in light of possible Russian rule changes targeting migrant workers from Central Asia, many Tajiks and others may be ready to leave Russia.