ANKARA

The European Commission said Wednesday that it intends to establish a partnership with Turkey for energy policy. 

"The Commission intends to strengthen EU/Turkey energy relations by establishing a strategic energy partnership," in a statement released by the European Commission to The Anadolu Agency. 

"A stronger and more united EU can engage more constructively with its partners, to their mutual benefit," the statement said.

The Commission announced its Energy Union Package in Brussels on Feb. 25, which calls for greater coordination between its member states to enable a free flow of energy across borders and a secure supply for EU citizens.

In addition, it aims to reduce its energy dependency on external states with specific reference to Russia -- the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe. Russia has been subject to economic sanctions by the West since it annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, and began supporting pro-Russian separatist rebels in the eastern part of the country.   

"As part of a revitalised European energy and climate diplomacy, the EU will use all its foreign policy instruments to establish strategic energy partnerships with increasingly important producing and transit countries or regions such as Algeria and Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the Middle East, Africa and other potential suppliers," the statement said. 

Turkey is to become a significant transit country as its Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP, project is part of the Southern Gas Corridor. 

 The Southern Gas Corridor is planned to carry natural gas sourced in Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea, then passing through Turkish territory to reach Greece in the west, and then further on to Albania and Italy. 

Moreover, Turkey's possible involvement in the Energy Community was proposed by its head Janez Kopac, who told The Anadolu Agency on March 5 that Turkey's membership in the community would facilitate Turkey's adequation of its legal framework to that of the EU for energy.   

Turkey limited its Energy Community membership to observer status due to some concerns about the legal framework for environmental regulation, competition policy and external energy trade policy in the membership treaty. 

The Energy Community was founded in 2005, and its current members are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and Ukraine. Armenia, Georgia, Norway, with Turkey holding observer status.