Türkiye and Europe Seek to Expand Energy Cooperation

Türkiye and Europe Seek to Expand Energy Cooperation Türkiye and Europe Seek to Expand Energy Cooperation Executive Summary: - The European Union is expanding energy cooperation with Türkiye as geopolitical instability in the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the blockade of the Hormuz Strait intensify efforts to diversify Europe’s energy supplies and strengthen long-term energy security. - Türkiye is leveraging its pipeline network, storage capacity, and position on the Southern Gas Corridor to establish itself as Europe’s principal energy transit hub, facilitating greater access to Azerbaijani, Turkmen, and other regional natural gas supplies. - Ankara’s broader strategy combines natural gas transit, electricity exports, and infrastructure investment to enhance its geopolitical influence while reducing Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and increasing resilience against future regional supply disruptions. On June 18, German Minister of Energy Katherina Reiche paid her first official visit to Türkiye and met with her counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar. After the Seventh Turkish–German Energy Forum in Ankara, Reiche stated that energy security is not only an economic issue but also a geopolitical issue (Hurriyet Daily, June 20). Bayraktar reiterated Ankara’s willingness to deepen its partnership with Berlin in critical minerals and energy infrastructure, as Germany remains Türkiye’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $52 billion (Anews.com, June 19). On June 30, three EU commissioners met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara to discuss cooperation in trade, migration, energy, and security (X/@kajakallas, June 30; Euronews, July 1). While Europe’s energy dependence became a central debate following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the issue has taken on renewed urgency in the wake of the March 2026 U.S.–Iran conflict and Iran’s subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Interregional energy partnerships have emerged as a strategic necessity, particularly for European states seeking to diversify supply routes and reduce vulnerability to geopolitical shocks. Europe is desperately seeking to reduce its energy dependence on Russian natural gas and diversify its supply by turning to regional actors such as Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and the Middle East (see EDM, January 5, 2023, June 24, 2024, November 19, 2025, March 24). Türkiye appears to be an asset and an important transit country for securing new sources of supply, as it links Europe with gas-rich countries such as Azerbaijan, Iran, and Iraq (SWP-Berlin, June 2022). For Ankara, such a stance in Europe enables it to realize its long-held goals of becoming the key transit country for European and regional states in energy contracts (see EDM, August 17, 2007; Anadolu Ajansı, June 30). The combination of Türkiye’s extensive pipeline network and substantial storage capacity underpins Ankara’s expanding energy ambitions. As the fourth-largest gas market, Türkiye handles roughly 10 percent of the European Union’s gas imports via transit operations, positioning itself as a critical facilitator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Eastern Europe (Cedigaz, November 13, 2025). Moreover, situated at the core of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), Türkiye offers a strategic energy route that bypasses Russia, an alignment that remains central to Europe’s long-term energy security calculus (see EDM, May 5). Undoubtedly, such prospects add more value to Europe’s energy partnership with Türkiye. Senior executives from leading global energy firms, including Michael Lewis, CEO of Uniper, and Frederick Doye, head of Siemens Energy, joined Germany’s ministerial delegation to Türkiye. Their presence signals a concerted push to expand energy-related investment projects in the country, reinforcing Ankara’s potential to emerge as a pivotal energy corridor linking Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe (Haqqin.az, June 22). Türkiye receives approximately 41 percent of its natural gas from Russia and 22 percent from Azerbaijan (International Trade Administration, February 5). By deepening engagement with Türkiye, European companies could have easier access to Azeri and Turkmen gas via the Caspian basin (Trends Group, May 14, 2025). Türkiye has invested considerable effort in persuading Turkmenistan to join the Caspian energy corridor, aiming to dramatically increase the volume of natural gas transported to Europe (Bazaar Time, March 21, 2024). Turkmenistan has made slow progress toward opening cooperation with Europe, particularly in transit and energy (The Times of Central Asia, April 10). The establishment of a corridor to Europe via Türkiye would carry profound implications for all stakeholders and for Europe, particularly amid shifting paradigms in global energy supply chains. Consequently, the current geopolitical volatility in Europe and the Middle East is being used as a tool of leverage by Ankara, which is pushing to establish a new energy corridor in its immediate neighborhood (Eurasia Review, June 28). The stable transportation of natural gas through Türkiye’s territory would enable the country to generate electricity and export it to Europe as part of its recent green‑energy transmission initiative. This strategy would allow Ankara to establish an electricity corridor alongside its energy corridor simultaneously. Realizing such a global ambition, however, ultimately depends on securing sufficient natural gas supplies (Balkan Energy News, June 3). The emergence of a new corridor highlights Türkiye’s strategic ambitions, positioning the country as a pivotal energy hub and marking an advance in regional energy diplomacy. In recent years, Türkiye has taken steps to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependence on Russia, including by importing LNG from the United States (Anadolu Ajansı, December 5, 2025). Additionally, Turkish companies have begun developing the first major natural gas field in the Black Sea (Türkiye Today, May 17, 2025). For Türkiye, diversifying energy partnerships and expanding natural gas transportation volumes enable the country to mitigate the shock effects of crises such as a potential continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while simultaneously reinforcing Europe’s recognition of the vital need for alternative supply routes (Ember, June 12).