The 8th ministerial meeting in Baku within the framework of the Consultative Council of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) with the participation of Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez is one of the important events in terms of deepening our economic ties with Azerbaijan. The regular meetings of the officials of the two countries also show the importance that the parties attach to this issue, Mehmet Kara, an expert on energy policy, a journalist for the Turkish newspaper Dunya, said in an interview with Report's Turkish bureau.
"Turkey plays a dominant role in implementing energy policy in the region through the transportation of Azerbaijani gas. As you know, the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) runs through Turkey, and this project is of great importance for all parties. Turkey is a consumer of gas transported through TANAP, and also transports it to Europe. In addition, Turkey owns a share in the field, where this gas is produced, and thus is the dominant player in the energy sector in the region. TANAP plays an important role in meeting Turkey's growing demand for gas, reducing the risk of shortage for energy resources, and in this respect, it is important for our country not only from a commercial, but also from a strategic point of view," he said.
As for increasing the throughput capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor in the future, Kara noted that from the first day, the project has been assessed as a large-scale project with great potential.
"In fact, this corridor is a line through which not only Azerbaijani gas, but also gas from other countries in the region could be transported. So far we are only talking about gas supplies from Azerbaijan. However, this is not a very difficult issue to implement. It is known that Azerbaijan and Turkey are preparing to double their gas transportation potential. Gas is considered as an intermediate fuel in the transition from traditional sources to renewable sources energy, and many believe that in the coming years, the value of ‘blue fuel’ will not only decrease, but, on the contrary, will increase.”