ANKARA: Turkey can reduce its energy dependence on Russia by reducing import of Russian gas, political scientist, associate professor of the Department of International Relations at the Ankara-based TOBB University of Economics and Technology Togrul Ismayil told Trend June 20.
“Turkey is the second largest importer of Russian gas after Germany that brings about $9 billion to Russia per year,” said Ismayil. He thinks that warming of relations between Russia and Turkey depends on the Russian side. “Turkey initially didn’t introduce any sanctions against Russia, despite the fact that Moscow violated the air borders of Ankara,” noted the expert adding that Russia, on the contrary, began to introduce sanctions against Turkey that caused damage to ordinary citizens.
The relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after the incident with Russian SU-24 bomber in 2015. Following the incident, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on taking measures for ensuring the country’s national security and special economic measures against Turkey.
Turkey will not speculate on the Turkish Stream project for the sake of improving relations with Russia, believes Ismayil. The Turkish Stream project has geopolitical importance for Russia, he said. “Turkey will proceed from its economic interests in this issue,” added the expert. Russian President Vladimir Putin scrapped a South Stream gas pipeline project on Dec. 1, 2014, which would have carried Russian natural gas via Bulgaria to southern and central Europe.
Instead, he proposed a new pipeline route through Turkey, which is now referred to as the Turkish Stream. However, this project was suspended against the background of cooling of relations between Ankara and Moscow.
