Greece and Turkey should join forces to become an energy hub in the region rather than compete against each other, Greek energy watchdog's board member Michael Thomadakis said in a recent interview.
"I don’t believe that Greece and Turkey should feel competitively about this. I think they should join forces in developing common aims together on gas," Thomadakis told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
Discussions on which country is closer to becoming a gas hub in the region emerged when plans for various projects have been put on the European energy sector's agenda to bring Azeri and Russian natural gas to the European market transiting through Turkey and Greece.
Construction of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline project (TANAP) already started in March in eastern Turkey with a groundbreaking ceremony. The pipeline will potentially carry 31 billion cubic meters of Azeri gas by 2026 when it will be connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, TAP.
Another project heated up discussions when Russia's Vladimir Putin announced the construction of a pipeline to Turkey through the Black Sea, dubbed as Turkish Stream. The project aims to bypass Ukraine to deliver gas to southeastern European countries.
Greece plans to sign framework agreement with Russia next week for the Turkish Stream as a further step - the first phase of which is already under construction to bring gas from Russia to Turkey.
"If you manage to establish common rules for this infrastructure, then gas does not differentiate where it crosses a border. It could be that the two countries will offer a physical hub together to Europe," Thomadakis, a member of the Greek Energy Regulation Authority's board member said.
"We must learn how to work closely... We must stop thinking competitively and start thinking how to complement and cooperate with each other," he added.
Commenting on the possibility of the European Union halting the Turkish Stream, Thomadakis said if Russia's gas giant, Gazprom, follows the rules of the EU in supplying gas to buyers, then there is no way that Europe can prevent it.
However, energy officials have questioned the necessity of such a pipeline when there are already existing pipelines through Ukraine, which could be more affordable if they are improved to increase capacity.
"Why should consumer states be willing to pay $5 billion more for something that has the same capacity already in Ukraine with only the necessity to spend $1 billion in investment to upgrade for large capacity?" he asked.
"I think political issues prevent us from having a very clear look at what is really commercial and feasible," Thomadakis said.
By Furkan Naci Top
Anadolu Agency
furkan.top@aa.com.tr