TANAP is essential for the energy diversity in Europe, the U.S.' Secretary of State John Kerry told Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Speaking at a press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Secretary Kerry reminded that Turkey's TANAP, Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, will be the longest segment of the planned Southern Gas Corridor that would bring natural gas from the Caspian through Turkey to Europe.
'My government thinks it is absolutely essential to complete the Southern Corridor and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which will connect to Greece, Albania, and Italy,' the Secretary said, according to the U.S. Deparment of State website.
'This will strengthen energy diversity in Europe, including with possible lines up to a place like Bulgaria or elsewhere,' he emphasized.
Planned to be completed in 2018, 2,000 kilometers long TANAP will carry 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 field on the Caspian Sea, while six billion cubic meters of its gas will be consumed by Turkey domestically as rest will be delivered to Europe.
Stretching 870 kilometers, Trans Adriatic Pipeline, TAP, will connect with TANAP on the east at the Greek-Turkish border and will cross to northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to connect with the Italian natural gas network at southern Italy.
The two pipelines will be the integral parts of the 3,500 kilometer-long Southern Gas Corridor.
- Cyprus issue
Secretary Kerry also said both the U.S. and Turkey support the UN-led negotiations to reunify Cyprus 'as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.'
'This is a problem that just has gone on for far too long,' he said, adding 'We believe that the parties can make real and lasting progress in the year 2015. And that would be very positive for the region.'
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed with Kerry, saying 'We are hoping to reach a solution within 2015, and we have the political will.'
'Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have the political will for a solution, and they are – we are waiting at the negotiating table,' he said, stressing the importance of U.S.' role in the process.
'Here, the U.S. role – active role and involvement is very important. And we see this will in the U.S. and in the State Department and as well as in White House. And thanks to the efforts and the support of U.S., we can finally reach a last and fair solution in Cyprus,' he added.
The island of Cyprus was divided into northern Turkish and southern Greek territories, when a Greek-Cypriot coup in 1974 to join the island to Greece was responded to by a Turkish peace mission and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, TRNC, was founded in 1983.
The Greek Cypriot administration put peace talks on hold in early October after Turkey sent a ship to monitor an oil-and-gas exploration mission off the coast of Cyprus.
Moreover, Turkey and TRNC both emphasized that the natural resources of Cyprus, like oil and natural gas, belong to the whole population of the island, and should be shared equally.
TRNC officials underlined repeatedly that Turkish Cypriots have equal and sovereign rights to the island's natural resources and will not take a step back from their position while they are determined to find a solution in the island.
Located off the coast of southern Cyprus in eastern Mediterranean, the Aphrodite gas field is estimated to have 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas, (almost four times Turkey's annual consumption in 2014), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr