Ankara expects that Israel will start the delivery of 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually, including 10 billion for Turkey. The other 20 billion cubic meters are expected to be supplied to Europe via Turkey.
Thus, Turkey plans to reduce its reliance on Russian gas which accounts for 50 percent of the country’s demands for natural gas.
Turkey deems the price of Israeli gas — $199 for 1,000 cubic meters – as competitive.
The agreement on gas supplies has not been signed yet. It is expected that it will be announced in spring, after the row between Turkey and Israel over the Freedom Flotilla is settled.
Besides Israel, Turkey is also looking for gas supplies from other countries. In early-December, Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to speed up the construction of the TANAP gas pipeline. The project was initially planned to launch in 2018. The pipeline would cross Turkey from the border with Georgia to the borders with Bulgaria and Greece. TANAP is also expected to carry gas from Turkmenistan and the Middle East.
