Turkey says to review Nabucco project if energy chapter blocked

"If we are faced with a situation where the energy chapter is blocked, we would of course review our position," Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told at the European Policy Center (EPC) on a rare visit to Brussels aimed at boosting accession talks this year. 

 

The Nabucco pipeline, which is one day hoped to carry 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Caspian or Middle Eastern gas annually to an Austrian hub via Turkey, is seen as one of Europe's best hopes for limiting its dependence on Russian gas.Â

 

Greek Cyprus told Hurriyet Daily News Online Edition last month it would not let talks on the energy part of the accession process start until an oil exploration dispute was resolved. Greek Cypriots have accused Turkey of harassing hydrocarbon research vessels four times since Nov. 13.

 

The EU and Turkey agreed on the need for the Nabucco pipeline that would bring gas to the EU via Turkey, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

 

"We agreed for the need for this pipeline," Barroso was quoted by Reuters as saying after talks with Erdogan, who earlier on Monday said Turkey could review its support for the project over EU member Greek Cyprus's veto of the energy portion of the country's EU accession talks.

 

"We do not want accession negotiations with Turkey to be impeded," Barroso told the joint conference.

 

Erdogan, however, said Turkey does not have any intention of using the Nabucco issue as a tool in a bid to reassure of his country's commitment.

 

"This is a humanitarian issue. We do not use this (Nabucco) issue as a tool. Anyway we are a member of this project."

 

SUPPLY PROBLEMS

The intergovernmental agreements on Nabucco are expected to be completed in the near future and experts believe the agreements with the potential suppliers should also be made. Members of the consortium however say the supply agreements should be made afterwards.

 

Erdogan joined those who question whether there was enough gas available to justify the project. "The information is that the countries that say that they will provide sufficient amounts of natural gas do not have enough natural gas to provide," Erdogan told at the EPC.

 

"In the Nabucco project there needs to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas flowing, but it's not there," he added.

 

Analysts say only 3 bcm has been sourced for the pipeline, compared to a bare minimum of 15 bcm needed to get it started.

 

Iran remains a potential source of gas for Nabucco, and Erdogan criticized countries that oppose accessing Iranian gas for political reasons.