Turkey, Syria agree on major gas sale deal

Turkey has agreed to sell 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas over five years to its southern neighbor Syria, as well as 400 megawatts of electricity. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said yesterday that when the 1,200-kilometer Arab gas pipeline and other pipelines are completed in the region, Turkey will sell its extra natural gas to neighboring countries. Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Syrian counterpart Sufian al-Alou in Ankara, Yildiz stressed the increasing cooperation between the two countries, and especially improved mutual relations on energy issues. He said that 1 billion cubic meters of gas will be transferred to Syria in four to five years. For his part, Al-Alou said, "We hope the agreements on gas and electricity sales will give our improved relations with Turkey added momentum." Asked about the possibility of Russia taking part in the Nabucco project, set to transport Caspian and Middle Eastern natural gas to Europe, thus reducing Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas, Yildiz said, "We should not be very surprised to see Russia join Nabucco as one of the gas suppliers." Also commenting on Nabucco, Al-Alou expressed his country's wish to become a Nabucco supplier. He said Syria has no problem with natural gas reserves and may rise as one of Nabucco's major gas providers in the near future when the country's production exceeds domestic demand. Al-Alou also said that construction of the Arab gas pipeline will probably be completed next year, making it possible to transport Egyptian natural gas to pipelines in Turkey, too. The signing in Ankara this week of an intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco was attended by top representatives from the partner countries of the project as well as high-level figures from the European Union, the US and other countries interested in the project.