Radio: Israel ready for talks with Turkey on Mediterranean pipeline

Israeli officials are open to negotiate with Turkey on its proposal to build a pipeline to transfer gas from Israel to Europe, Israeli Kan radio reported.

Diplomatic correspondent Amichai Stein wrote on Twitter: “Israel officials are saying they say are open to negotiate the Turkish proposal to build gas pipeline from Israeli reservoirs through Turkey to Europe “if the Turks are serious”, but stress that it will not replace the gas pipeline with Greece-Cyprus-Italy.”

1/ Israel officials are saying they say are open to negotiate the Turkish proposal to build gas pipeline from Israeli reservoirs through Turkey to Europe "if the Turks are serious", but stress that it will not replace the gas pipeline with Greece-Cyprus-Italy, but in addition. >>

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) December 16, 2019

On Sunday, Kan reported that Turkey was ready to negotiate with Tel Aviv the transfer of Israeli natural gas to Europe through its territory.

Turkey confirmed earlier that Israel, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus cannot build the gas pipeline without Turkey’s approval, according to the maritime agreement signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the head of the internationally recognised Libyan Government of National Accord, Fayez Al-Sarraj.

The Israeli foreign ministry did not comment on the report, but Stein added: “Negotiations between Israel and Turkey were conducted on the issue between 2015-2017, which examined the possibility of building a gas pipeline to Europe from the reservoirs in Israel, which will pass through Turkey.”

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