ANKARA, January 19. /TASS/. Representatives of Botas, Turkey’s state-owned oil and gas pipeline company, are slated to visit St. Petersburg for detailed discussions with Gazprom on establishing a gas trading center ("gas hub") and the options for building a Russian gas supply center in Turkey, the Sabah newspaper reported.

According to the company, this week's planned trip by Botas representatives to St. Petersburg is still on the agenda. The in-depth discussions will focus on creating a gas trading center in Turkey’s Thrace region on the European side of the Turkish Straits. Given the use of gas transportation capacities flowing into Turkey from neighboring countries, this center will transform Turkey into Europe’s top gas supplier. Sabah notes that Turkey has already made significant investments in accomplishing this goal by commissioning floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and regasification units, natural gas storage facilities and a gas trading center.

In addition to the hub, the newspaper says that the construction of a supply center in Turkey or a gas supply center from Russia is on the agenda of the Turkish-Russian energy talks. Sabah recounted that the Russian side had previously made such a proposal, which was positively received by the Turkish side. The newspaper did not provide any details, but indicated that "if Russia builds a gas supply center in the region, it will open up Russian gas [for delivery] to Europe and more remote areas throughout Turkey."

In late December, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that the implementation of the gas hub project in Turkey may begin in 2024, while a roadmap for the project is to be prepared shortly. Another factor he mentioned was that the Turkish partners would visit St. Petersburg in the near future to review the Russian experience, which could benefit the development of an e-trading platform and a gas hub in Turkey.

In October 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested creating a hub on Turkish territory, which could be used to redirect gas transit volumes lost due to the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. According to the Turkish authorities, the country is almost ready to carry out the project in terms of infrastructure but legislative amendments are still required.

On January 17, a Turkish Energy Ministry source told TASS that the ministry's delegation was planning to visit Russia this week to hold talks on creating a gas hub in the country. The ministry has jurisdiction over the state-owned Botas’ operations.