Germany accuses Turkey of bullying EU over Nabucco pipeline

Turkey is engaged in "political blackmail," Michael Glos was quoted by AFP as saying at an energy forum in Berlin, calling on Turkey to stop using the pipeline as leverage to boost their bid for EU membership.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkey could review its position on the strategic pipeline if the the country's negotiations with the EU are blocked on the energy chapter.  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 proposed 3,300 kilometer (2,050 mile) Nabucco pipeline is planned to carry 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Caspian or Middle Eastern gas annually to an Austrian hub via Turkey, and is seen as one of Europe's best hopes for limiting its dependence on Russian gas.Â

Diversifying the supply of gas away from Russia has become a priority for the EU in the wake of the recent spat between Russia and Ukraine which left millions of Europeans without heating in the middle of a wintry cold snap.

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