Azerbaijan, Turkey create energy corridor by implementing joint projects
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan and Turkey have created an energy corridor connecting East and West.
The two countries were able to reach this goal by implementing joint projects in the region, Turkish media reported on September 29 citing Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He named the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as examples.
Erdogan also noted the Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) gas pipeline project, which is currently under implementation, also plays an important role in ensuring the world's energy security.
TANAP, developed by SOCAR in collaboration with Turkish Botas and the energy company TPAO, will deliver Shah Deniz's gas to the Turkish-Greek border from eastern Turkey.
The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 16 billion cubic meters of gas a year. TANAP will link up with Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipeline on the Turkish-Greek border. About six billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest to Europe. The costs of the TANAP project are estimated at $10 billion to $11 billion.
Azerbaijan and Turkey's relations have always been strong due to their common culture and history and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani languages.
Turkey was the first country in the world to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity, and realize its economic potential that arises from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.
Economic projects, jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Turkey, are bringing these countries together and strengthening their cooperation. The two countries' economies and cooperation have reached a high level.
SOCAR is one of the world's most well-established oil companies, active in Turkey since May 30, 2008. SOCAR is involved in a number of major investment projects in Turkey, including the construction of TANAP, Star refinery, and others. The volume of investment of SOCAR in Turkey's economy will reach $5 billion by late 2014.