Erdogan orders work to start on Putin-proposed gas centre

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has instructed the Turkish government to begin work on a gas centre in his country, proposed by Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to export Russian gas to Europe, according to Turkish media reports on Friday.

Erdogan mentioned the international gas centre in Turkiye during an interview with journalists on the plane that brought him back from Astana in Kazakhstan, where he met with Putin on Thursday.

“Together with Mr Putin, we have instructed our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and relevant institutions on the Russian side to cooperate,” Erdogan told reporters on the presidential plane upon his return from Kazakhstan.

The Turkish president confirmed that work would begin immediately.

“We will not delay this,” he added, explaining that the gas centre may be built in the Thrace region in north-western Turkiye.

On Thursday, Putin proposed the establishment of a gas centre in Turkiye, while Russian gas exports to Europe are being greatly affected by Western sanctions imposed on Moscow. The European Union is considering setting a limit on the price of Russian gas with the rise in energy bills due to the war in Ukraine.

READ: Qatar expresses desire to partner in Lebanon oil exploration