Perspective for Turkish Stream Project: Possible Scenarios and Challenges

Following the cancellation of South Stream, Russia announced its plans to reroute the pipeline to Turkey, instead of Bulgaria. The new pipeline was dubbed “Turkish Stream”, with same capacity of South Stream, but less vulnerable to EU competition law. “Turkish Stream” has also experienced delays due to the crisis in RussiaTurkey relations. However, following the recent normalization of bilateral relations, the project regained its momentum. Russia’s aim is to complete the construction of the pipeline as soon as possible, namely before the Southern Gas Corridor is finished, or acquires additional gas from Iraq, Iran, or Turkmenistan. This article examines the possible scenarios and challenges for the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, and argues that Russian Gazprom’s commitments to other pipeline projects, such as Nord Stream II and the pipeline to China, may prevent Gazprom from completing the pipeline in its entirety.

Authors: Ilgar Gurbanov
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