Türkiye is positioning itself as a regional energy hub, seeking to diversify supply routes and strengthen energy security amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.
Speaking at Anadolu's Editor's Desk, Bayraktar highlighted Türkiye's role as an alternative energy corridor.
He pointed to the Iraq-Türkiye crude oil pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan, which has a capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day.
The minister noted that the pipeline has been the subject of arbitration with Iraq's central government for the past decade, stressing that Ankara favors a cooperative solution.
"Two friendly, brotherly nations have lived in this region for centuries. We must resolve our issues amicably," Bayraktar said.
Iraq exports about 3-3.5 million barrels of oil per day, he said noting that flows have largely stalled as most shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint now under heightened risk.
He said Türkiye has long proposed repairing the pipeline's damaged northern section near Kirkuk and extending it to Basra to enable a south-to-north flow, allowing up to 1.5 million barrels per day to bypass Hormuz.
"Diversification isn't just about saying, 'I won't buy from this country.' Route diversification is also very important," he said.
"This benefits Iraq, global oil markets and Türkiye," he added, noting that the proposal has yet to gain traction.
Bayraktar also pointed to broader regional energy initiatives, including a plan to transport Qatari gas to Türkiye via a pipeline and potentially onward to Europe.
"Consider a scenario where your LNG facilities are hit, exports halt, and the Strait of Hormuz is blocked—now imagine a pipeline delivering gas to Türkiye and onward to Europe," he said.
He added that Turkmen gas supplies via the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan and Georgia should be a priority, alongside emerging projects tied to Syria's normalization.
"Syria is normalizing. A year or two ago, we might not have been able to discuss this, but now the connection of oil from Syria's oil fields to the Iraq-Türkiye Oil Pipeline is a project on the table," he said.
He said they had conveyed this to their Syrian counterparts and that it may be possible for the oil to flow to Ceyhan via the pipeline.
The minister also said Türkiye has discussed an electricity interconnection project linking Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Türkiye during a recent visit.
Bayraktar said the current crisis could ultimately accelerate decision-making on major cross-border energy projects that create mutual dependence and shared economic benefits.
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
