Turkey could be a natural gas hub with its LNG terminals at the border of Greece and Bulgaria, according to an official from BOTAS - Turkey's state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipeline company.

In the 'Third Party Access to Turkey's Natural Gas Transmission System 2007-2013' report written by Hizir Hakan Unal, BOTAS's gas transmission expert, he asserts that Turkey and Botas' natural gas transmission pipelines could be integrated with the EU if Greece does not build a new LNG terminal.

'Turkey may receive a visa to EU's energy market by letting Greece and Bulgaria use its LNG terminals,' Unal told Anadolu Agency.

The natural gas pipeline, which may be used by Bulgaria and Greece, will be built by BOTAS, in the northwestern Turkish city of Corlu, and the company plans to complete the construction of the Onerler-Kesan natural gas pipeline by April 2015.

'After completion of the construction of the Onerler-Kesan pipeline, natural gas capacity in Greece will increase,' Unal said. 

'Apart from the current natural gas agreements, Turkey could be a link for natural gas transfer to Europe. Turkey's LNG terminals have third party access which means that European countries can use our LNG terminal for gasification,' said Unal.

Turkey has two operational LNG terminals -  in Marmara Ereglisi and in Aliaga. Aliaga is located in Izmir, the western extremity of Anatolia and Marmara Ereglisi is located in the west of Istanbul. 

Turkey imports 4 billion cubic meters of LNG from Algeria per year and 1.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Nigeria via its LNG terminals.

By Murat Temizer and Huseyin Erdogan

Anadolu Agency