Expert Warns of Trouble With Turkey Becoming Dominant Gas Market Player

© East News / Mikhail Metzel/AP/XMIM101As Russia reiterates its decision to abandon the South Stream gas pipeline project, calling it final, and confirms its intention to divert the gas flow to Turkey, a former diplomat warns that Ankara will be not an easy partner.
As Russia reiterates its decision to abandon the South Stream gas pipeline project, calling it final, and confirms its intention to divert the gas flow to Turkey, a former diplomat warns that Ankara will be not an easy partner. - Sputnik International
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As Russia reiterates its decision to abandon the South Stream gas pipeline project, calling it final, and confirms its intention to divert the gas flow to Turkey, a former diplomat warns that Ankara will be not an easy partner.

South Stream construction kicks off - Sputnik International
Russia’s Decision to Abandon South Stream Pipeline Project Final: Minister
MOSCOW, December 5 (Sputnik) – On Thursday, Russia reiterated its final decision to reject the South Stream project. Moscow is committed to diverting the gas flow to Turkey.

Turkey might eventually get control of gas flows coming from Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and probably Iraq.

However, George Hatziioannou, a retired diplomat and the current editor-in-chief of the website Energy International Risk Assessment (Eiranews.com), believes that Ankara won’t be an easy partner.

“It will turn the country overnight into an almost-dominant market player in regional energy affairs,” he told Sputnik. “In my humble opinion, this model of operations might be a bit tricky and risky. There is a fair chance that at a certain point, Ankara might try to ‘do a Ukraine’”.

Cancellation of the South Stream gas pipeline project spells a disaster for the Baltic States, as well as Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Austria, the marketing director of Czech gas company said. - Sputnik International
Europe May Face 'Disaster' Due to South Stream Cancellation: Czech Company
Hatziioannou, who served in his country’s embassies in the US, UK and Russia, also commented on the benefits for Athens.

“There is strong economic and commercial rationale behind the idea of a hub on the Turkish-Greek border,” he said. “Since it is a complicated enterprise affecting the energy security of many regional players, the success can only be ensured through multilateral negotiations to balance the interests of all parties concerned. I believe Greece would benefit from the emergence of the hub, provided that all the delicate issues are handled and settled in good faith with due regard to equitably-spread benefits.”

Greece will be elevated to the status of a key energy transit country, he added, and probably as that of a local distribution center. Greece, as an EU member state, would serve as the gateway to united Europe for some of Russia’s gas exports.

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