Future of Russia-Turkey Energy Projects Depends on Ankara's Moves

Russia has not canceled joint energy projects with Turkey, such as the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP), despite deterioration in bilateral relations, but their future depends on Ankara, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated following the downing of a Russian Su-24 aircraft over Syria by a Turkish jet on November 24. In the wake of the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on economic measures against Ankara.

"The Akkuyu NPP was not mentioned in the president's decree, or in the three government decrees… Russia does not drop the Turkish Stream, but the ball is in Turkey's court now," Karlov told RIA Novosti.

Karlov said that it was very difficult to predict the future of the Turkish Stream project in the current situation, adding that Russia expected Ankara to make moves to begin improving the bilateral relations.

The Turkish Stream gas pipeline, with an annual capacity of 63 billion cubic meters, was announced in December 2014. The pipeline was expected to run below the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and continue to a hub on the Turkish-Greek border, from where gas could be transferred to Southern Europe.

Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to construct and operate Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at the Akkuyu site in the Turkish southern Mersin province in May 2010. The NPP is expected to produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year. The project's cost is estimated at about $20 billion.