The gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires on December 31, 2024, prompting Ukraine to stop transiting Russian gas to Europe through its pipeline system. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stressed that the decision was made for “national security” reasons.
The halt in shipments has deprived Russia of an important market and forced Europe to seek alternative supplies in the midst of a bitterly cold winter.
Turkey, with its strategic location and developed energy infrastructure, is emerging as a safe alternative to European gas supplies. Currently, Turkey receives Russian gas via the BlueStream and TurkStream pipelines, as well as gas from Azerbaijan and Iran via the TANAP system.
TurkStream starts from the Russian coast, runs through the Black Sea for more than 930 km and lands in Turkey's Thrace region. TurkStream directly connects Russia's largest gas reserves to Türkiye's gas transportation network, providing reliable energy to Turkey, Southern and Southeast Europe.
In addition, Türkiye also produces gas from the Black Sea, enabling it to become a gas transit hub to countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and North Macedonia.
Hurriyet Daily News quoted Mr. Emin Emrah Danış, an energy expert from MOBEN, as saying that Türkiye owns a modern gas pipeline system, capable of importing and distributing gas from various sources to European countries.
With gas from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and domestic production, Türkiye can meet Europe's growing demand.
If the connections with Greece and Bulgaria are strengthened, the amount of gas exported from Türkiye to Europe will increase significantly.
“Türkiye is currently the safest route to supply gas to Europe,” Danış stressed. “We can transport both imported and domestically produced gas.”
Russia has been the EU’s largest gas supplier since the Soviet era. However, the halt in transit through Ukraine is prompting countries in the region to look for new sources.
Before the Ukraine conflict, Russia supplied around 40% of the EU’s natural gas, which was essential for heating, generating electricity and sustaining industry. Major gas pipelines such as Nord Stream 1 and transit routes through Ukraine were key links for Russian gas to Europe.
However, since the conflict broke out, the EU has imposed a series of sanctions against Russia, causing Russia to cut off gas to many EU countries, causing energy prices to skyrocket and pushing Europe into a serious energy crisis.
For its part, Russia has increased gas exports to China and India, and signed long-term energy deals with Asian countries to reduce its dependence on the European market.
