Ankara: The first natural gas shipments from Trkiye to Syria have begun, announced Trkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar on Saturday. The shipments mark a significant development in energy cooperation between the neighboring countries.
According to Anadolu Agency, Bayraktar spoke at the inauguration of the Trkiye-Syria natural gas pipeline, stating that gas from Azerbaijan will be delivered to Syria through Kilis, a Turkish border city neighboring northern Syria. The natural gas connection from Kilis to Syria's Aleppo was completed on May 21, following the restoration of damaged pipelines.
Bayraktar detailed that up to 2 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas can be exported annually to Syria, which is expected to generate electricity for 5 million households. The gas will be transported to Aleppo and then to Homs, facilitating the operation of power plants in the region. He also mentioned that electricity exports to Syria currently flow through eight points, with capacity set to increase by 25% initially and then more than double.
Syria's energy infrastructure has suffered extensive damage due to the civil war that began in 2011. Power generation facilities, transmission lines, and natural gas systems were heavily damaged, reducing daily electricity supply in many regions to just 3-4 hours. Following the collapse of the Baath regime in December 2024, a transitional period was launched in Syria, with the reconstruction of energy infrastructure identified as a top priority. During this phase, Trkiye has actively contributed to rebuilding efforts, leveraging its technical expertise and geographic proximity.
Trkiye had previously supplied limited amounts of electricity to northern Syria, occasionally providing regional support through transmission lines. Earlier, Bayraktar had indicated that Trkiye will collaborate with Azerbaijan and Qatar to export natural gas to Syria. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Syria's Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir, Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, and Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, president of the Qatar Development Fund.
Bayraktar noted that Trkiye signed a swap agreement with SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state-owned oil and gas company, to deliver gas at the Trkiye-Syria border. A similar project was launched in March with Nakhchivan, when the Igdir-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline began delivering gas to the Azerbaijani exclave through Trkiye. Bayraktar, alongside Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, inaugurated this new project under the motto 'two states, one nation.'
The Turkish energy minister also extended gratitude to Qatar for its strong support of the project, highlighting that relations between the two nations have deepened in all areas. He cited the 2014 launch of the High Strategic Committee as a key step in strengthening cooperation between Trkiye and Qatar.