Tweet
PUTIN, ERDOGAN DISCUSS 'TURKISH STREAM' GAS PROJECT
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
March 18 2015
CIHAN | ISTANBUL- 18.03.2015 18:00:33
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
discussed the "Turkish Stream" gas project during a phone call, the
Kremlin stated on Tuesday, as Moscow continues to push for its new
undersea pipeline to Europe.
Facing objections from the European Union, Russia in December abandoned
its $40 billion South Stream project, which would have passed under
the Black Sea to Bulgaria and carried up to 63 billion cubic meters
of gas annually to Europe.
Russia has now pinned its hopes on Turkey, hoping to construct a
"Turkish Stream" pipeline with the same capacity on the Turkey-Greece
border by the end of 2016.
Turkish officials have said the plans are unlikely to progress
as quickly as Russia would like, given Ankara's concerns about
overdependence on Russian energy. But the Kremlin's statement added
that Putin and Erdogan did discuss the project during a phone call,
without giving further details.
Turkish presidential sources also told Reuters the two discussed
developments in Ukraine, with Erdogan saying he plans to visit Ukraine
this week.
They also discussed the "events of 1915," the sources said in reference
to the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman soldiers during World
War I. The contested events continue to sour relations between Turkey
and Armenia, a former Soviet republic.
Ankara accepts that many Armenians were killed in clashes, but
denies that up to 1.5 million were killed in an act of genocide --
a description used by some historians and governments.
Minister says word is bond in Gazprom deal
Amid media reports arguing that Turkey failed to reach a deal over
a discount in gas prices with Russia's Gazprom, Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said on Wednesday that trust between
the two countries has as much importance as signatures, confirming
that no deal, despite pledges, had yet been made.
In late February, the minister announced that Gazprom cut natural
gas prices to the state-run Turkish Pipeline Corporation (BOTAÅ~^)
by 10.25 percent; however, due to the ever-weakening Turkish lira,
he said customers would not benefit from the reduction. But even a
10.25 discount has yet to be secured, the minister admitted, saying
that signatures follow negotiations.
Speaking at the 14th Turkish International Oil & Gas Conference
(TUROGE), Yıldız said: "The trust between the Russian Federation
and us is at least as important as writing [signatures]. If I made a
statement, if I said a 10.25 percent discount had been reached, you
were informed by the primary source... The signatures follow after,
there is no problem."
The minister added that the discount would soon be reflected in market
prices. Yıldız's remarks falsified the ground for his earlier pretext
that he presented for not decreasing the price at the market despite
the alleged deal with Gazprom. The minister asserted that customers
would not benefit from the discount due to the depreciating value of
the Turkish lira against the US dollar.
Turkey is heavily dependent on energy imports and purchases around 60
percent of its natural gas from Russia, paying in US dollars. Yet,
the lira has lost much more value as of March 18 than in February,
when the minister addressed the weakening lira for not reflecting
the discount in the home market.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Putin-Erdogan-discuss-Turkish-Stream-gas-project_1124-CHMTcxMTEyNA==
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
March 18 2015
CIHAN | ISTANBUL- 18.03.2015 18:00:33
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
discussed the "Turkish Stream" gas project during a phone call, the
Kremlin stated on Tuesday, as Moscow continues to push for its new
undersea pipeline to Europe.
Facing objections from the European Union, Russia in December abandoned
its $40 billion South Stream project, which would have passed under
the Black Sea to Bulgaria and carried up to 63 billion cubic meters
of gas annually to Europe.
Russia has now pinned its hopes on Turkey, hoping to construct a
"Turkish Stream" pipeline with the same capacity on the Turkey-Greece
border by the end of 2016.
Turkish officials have said the plans are unlikely to progress
as quickly as Russia would like, given Ankara's concerns about
overdependence on Russian energy. But the Kremlin's statement added
that Putin and Erdogan did discuss the project during a phone call,
without giving further details.
Turkish presidential sources also told Reuters the two discussed
developments in Ukraine, with Erdogan saying he plans to visit Ukraine
this week.
They also discussed the "events of 1915," the sources said in reference
to the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman soldiers during World
War I. The contested events continue to sour relations between Turkey
and Armenia, a former Soviet republic.
Ankara accepts that many Armenians were killed in clashes, but
denies that up to 1.5 million were killed in an act of genocide --
a description used by some historians and governments.
Minister says word is bond in Gazprom deal
Amid media reports arguing that Turkey failed to reach a deal over
a discount in gas prices with Russia's Gazprom, Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said on Wednesday that trust between
the two countries has as much importance as signatures, confirming
that no deal, despite pledges, had yet been made.
In late February, the minister announced that Gazprom cut natural
gas prices to the state-run Turkish Pipeline Corporation (BOTAÅ~^)
by 10.25 percent; however, due to the ever-weakening Turkish lira,
he said customers would not benefit from the reduction. But even a
10.25 discount has yet to be secured, the minister admitted, saying
that signatures follow negotiations.
Speaking at the 14th Turkish International Oil & Gas Conference
(TUROGE), Yıldız said: "The trust between the Russian Federation
and us is at least as important as writing [signatures]. If I made a
statement, if I said a 10.25 percent discount had been reached, you
were informed by the primary source... The signatures follow after,
there is no problem."
The minister added that the discount would soon be reflected in market
prices. Yıldız's remarks falsified the ground for his earlier pretext
that he presented for not decreasing the price at the market despite
the alleged deal with Gazprom. The minister asserted that customers
would not benefit from the discount due to the depreciating value of
the Turkish lira against the US dollar.
Turkey is heavily dependent on energy imports and purchases around 60
percent of its natural gas from Russia, paying in US dollars. Yet,
the lira has lost much more value as of March 18 than in February,
when the minister addressed the weakening lira for not reflecting
the discount in the home market.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Putin-Erdogan-discuss-Turkish-Stream-gas-project_1124-CHMTcxMTEyNA==