ANKARA
Turkish Stream, the Russian Turkish natural gas pipeline project has not been finalized yet, said Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz on Monday.
"It is early to say that Turkish Stream is a finalized project," Yildiz said on Monday, following his meeting with Gazprom Chairman Aleksey Miller on Saturday.
Turkey is also negotiating with Russia for a reduction on imported natural gas prices. Yildiz said they have not yet come to an agreement as both sides are strong negotiators.
"We want our sale price to exceed our costs from now on. Currently we are buying for 10 dollars and selling for nine," Yildiz said.
He also stated that the discount, the Turkish Stream project, its possible route and the renewal of the western line -- the gas pipeline coming to Turkey via Ukraine -- are a single package in the talks between Russia and Turkey.
Yildiz and Miller took a helicopter ride over the Black Sea to survey a possible route for the Turkish Stream pipeline on Saturday.
"We talked about where we cannot build the pipeline," Yildiz said. Yildiz and Miller took off from Istanbul and flew along the Black Sea coast to Ipsala, on the Turkish-Greek border to evaluate possible entry points for the proposed pipeline. Yildiz said wetlands, green spaces, and forests intersect with the route and they examined whether the pipeline would contaminate the environment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new gas pipeline project which would run via the Black Sea to reach Turkey's northwestern Thrace region, dubbed Turkish Stream.
The project would also involve a gas hub at the Turkish-Greek border to transfer gas further into Europe.
