ANKARA
Turkey’s counter-offer to Russia for a natural gas discount has not been finalized yet, the Turkish energy minister said on Tuesday.
Russia proposes selling natural gas to Turkey at a six percent discount.
“Russia’s discount offer is a positive step towards strengthening our collaboration, yet we hope to receive a higher discount,” Taner Yildiz, Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, told journalists during a press conference in Ankara.
For now, Russia's daily natural gas delivery to Turkey via the West Line is still half the total amount required, Yildiz said, and Turkey requires having the full capacity delivered.
Turkey's daily natural gas consumption during winter reaches 190 million cubic meters. The decline in Russian gas deliveries is equivalent to 8.5 percent of Turkey's daily consumption.
Yildiz said the project to build a pipeline to Turkey will be Turkey’s second door to international markets after the port of Ceyhan.
“We signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey to build a natural gas hub on the Turkish-Greek border, to supply Eastern Europe,” Putin said on Monday.
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