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By Gulgiz Dadashova

The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project (TANAP) could also count on supply of Turkmen gas to Europe.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the remark following the talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, a source close to the talks told Trend.

“TANAP may transport gas both from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to Europe through Turkey’s territory,” Erdogan said.

The president added that Turkey pays special attention to Europe’s energy security issues.

After the high-level negotiations held on November 7, Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz State Concern and Turkey’s Atagaz Company signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the purchase and sale of natural gas.

Turkmenistan is one of the key players in the gas market in the Caspian Sea region and Central Asia. Turkey expresses interest in re-export of Turkmen gas to Europe. The most optimal option is to lay a 300-kilometer gas pipeline through the Caspian Sea to the coast of Azerbaijan, which enjoys appropriate infrastructure to transport gas to Turkey and further to Europe.

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.

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