ISTANBUL: Turkey will start exporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Syria this Saturday, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced. The move aims to support Syria’s electricity production as the country recovers from years of civil war.
Syria’s new Islamist-led government, which overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December, is working to restore infrastructure after nearly 14 years of conflict. Severe damage to power plants has left many areas with daily blackouts exceeding 20 hours.
“We will start exporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Aleppo via Kilis,“ Bayraktar said, referring to a Turkish province bordering Syria.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir confirmed the deal, stating that Damascus will receive 3.4 million cubic metres of Azerbaijani gas daily starting August 2. The supply is expected to generate around 900 megawatts of electricity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
The agreement follows talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Azerbaijan, a key Turkish ally, has strengthened ties with Syria’s transitional government.
In May, Bashir revealed that Ankara and Damascus had finalized a deal for gas transfers through a northern pipeline. The arrangement highlights Turkey’s growing role in regional energy distribution. - AFP
