On Wednesday, on the eve of his meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin asked Europeans to choose between two options if they want natural gas.
The Russian president proposed the creation of a large natural gas hub in Turkey, so that flows from the two Nord Stream pipelines could be diverted there via the Black Sea.
«Turkey is the most reliable route for Russian gas to Europe,» the Russian president told his Turkish counterpart, according to Reuters. «Gas prices, which are currently sky-high, could be set through such a hub without being influenced by political decisions,» Putin added.
The Russian president said that «we could transport the lost quantities from the Nord Stream pipelines across the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea region (where the Turkstream pipeline connecting the Russian coast with the Turkey in Eastern Thrace) for the supply of our natural gas to Europe via Turkey, creating Europe's largest natural gas hub in Turkey.».
Erdogan: We have given the order to start work
While the Turkish president had not made any statements about natural gas in recent days, he did so today during his return from Kazakhstan.
When asked about the Russian president's words, as reported by Turkish media, said: «A large natural gas hub could be created in Turkey for Europe. As mentioned, Thrace is considered the most suitable place for the creation of such a hub. We have instructed the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the relevant body on the Russian side to conduct a joint study with Mr. Putin. They will do this work there. I hope that we will create this distribution center there, where it is most suitable.
