Syria Wants Iranian Gas Via Turkey.

Reuters on Nov. 29 reported Turkey's Energy Ministry as saying it had received a letter from Syria expressing interest in receiving Iranian natural gas via Turkish pipelines. Syria aims to buy 2-3 BCM/year of Iranian gas. Officials from the three states may meet in the next few days to discuss the issue.

Reuters quoted a Turkish Energy Ministry official as saying: "When other energy projects are also taken into account, Turkey is growing stronger in the region [as a transit country]".

Turkey is examining with Russia, its main gas supplier, the possibility of extending the Blue Stream pipeline to Israel. Turkey is also the key to a $5.8 billion pipeline that would pump Central Asian gas to Austria via the Balkans. Called Nabucco, the latter project is proposed also to pump Iranian gas to Europe.

Other pipelines across Turkish territory are planned. An official from Botas, the state-owned company which runs Turkey's gas pipelines, said Syria could receive the gas via a planned pipeline that will link Nevsehir in central Turkey and Kilis, a town near the Turkish-Syrian border. The official said: "In this situation, there would not be any need for the construction of a new and expensive pipeline... Syria's needs for 2-3 BCM/year could easily be met with this pipeline".

The Botas official said Syria's integration into the pipeline system would boost Turkey's role in the region. "With this project Iran, Syria and Turkey will be working together in the energy field...This would also contribute to solution of problems we have faced until now with Iran over the quality and quantity of natural gas. [This is] because Syria will move with and back up Turkey in talks with Iran".