Ankara: The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, along with disruptions to global energy supply, is bringing Trkiye to the forefront through various pipeline and route alternatives in the search for substitute transit corridors.
According to Anadolu Agency, the war in the Middle East has severely disrupted maritime traffic and oil transportation through the Strait of Hormuz. Although the waterway has not been officially declared closed, Iranian authorities have imposed strict controls and restrictions on crossings. This has caused maritime traffic in the region to deviate significantly from normal operations, with only vessels from certain countries allowed to pass under specific conditions.
Rising tensions in the region have caused disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20% of global oil trade. Tanker traffic has slowed sharply, with crossings dropping to zero on some days and overall traffic declining by more than 90%. The daily transport of 15 million barrels of crude oil through Hormuz is now at risk, while rising insurance costs and security concerns are putting additional pressure on shipments. The developments pushed oil prices from around $70 to $120, marking an increase of nearly 70%.
On the natural gas side, the rise has been even sharper. Europe's benchmark TTF gas contracts climbed from around pound 30 ($34.56) to the pound 60 - pound 70 range. Although the decision by member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves signaled additional supply to the market, volatility continues amid concerns that the war in the region could intensify.
As concerns about supply security grow and existing measures prove insufficient to limit market volatility, the search for alternative routes that could reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz has also gained momentum. IEA data shows around 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025. Alternative pipeline capacities bypassing Hormuz through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remain limited to between 3.5 million and 5.5 million barrels per day.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar referred to the status of the Iraq-Trkiye Crude Oil Pipeline extending from Kirkuk to Ceyhan. He stated that Trkiye has brought other projects onto the agenda beyond Iraq, including the potential arrival of Qatari gas to Trkiye through a pipeline, and perhaps onward to Europe.
Although partial alternatives exist for oil, LNG appears more fragile. Hormuz remains a critical transit point for LNG shipments, and experts believe redirecting gas to alternative routes in the short term will not be easy. In this picture, Trkiye stands out as a complementary energy corridor for transporting non-Hormuz resources to Europe.
Claudia Kemfert, head of the Energy, Transport and Environment Department at the German Institute for Economic Research, told Anadolu that a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would increase global oil and LNG prices. She noted that Trkiye could provide an alternative in the medium term by strengthening its transit corridor role linking the Caspian region, the Middle East, and Europe. However, existing infrastructure limitations prevent Trkiye from offsetting major supply disruptions in the short term, meaning its role as an alternative corridor would remain largely strategic and medium-term.