Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and visiting Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat have discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation and increasing trade between the two Turkic nations.
“We discussed the steps that the sides could take to achieve $5 billion worth of mutual trade, the process of updating the agreement on the mutual promotion and protection of investments, the contract projects that Turkish companies are implementing, and possible areas of future cooperation,” the Turkish minister said on December 4, according to the Turkmenistan Today news agency.
Bolat had arrived in Ashgabat to take part in the Turkish Export Products Fair.
“We noted at the fair, which was organized in Ashgabat with the involvement of many exporting companies, that Türkiye is determined to strengthen and diversify its partnership with the friendly and brotherly country of Turkmenistan,” Bolat added.
In his turn, the Turkmen president said that “this exhibition held regularly in Turkmenistan is one of the important events that contribute to stepping up mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries” and expressed confidence that the fair would elevate trade and economic relations between the two nations while fostering business ties.
In his speech, Berdimuhamedow also emphasized “introducing new technologies and advanced scientific achievements in various areas and international cooperation to ensure the consistent upgrade of the economy.”
The president underlined that Turkmenistan was “ready to develop fruitful bilateral cooperation, including to increase trade, and to consider specific proposals in various areas of mutual interest.”
Ankara seeks to play a key role in the transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan to European markets as the EU searches for alternatives to Russian gas amid its full-scale war with Ukraine.
Türkiye’s recent deals with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan aim to turn the country into an “energy hub.” In March, Türkiye and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in natural gas and hydrocarbons. In mid-May, Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities reached an agreement on the transportation of Turkmenistan’s natural gas to Türkiye via Azerbaijan and Georgia. The deal also included bringing additional Azerbaijani and surrounding regional energy resources to Türkiye, with some destined for European markets.
Ankara is exploring several options to bring Turkmen gas to its territories, including swaps with Iran, transportation via Iran-Azerbaijan, or a Caspian pipeline. About 2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Turkmen gas was planned for transportation to Türkiye in the initial phase, with the ultimate goal of delivering 15 bcm annually over two decades. Currently, Türkiye receives approximately 60–70 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran via pipelines, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from other countries.
The Turkmen president announced in late July that Turkmenistan was constructing a combined power station on the Caspian Sea coast, enabling it to export electricity to Türkiye and other nations.
In recent years, Ashgabat has advocated for the construction of a Caspian pipeline to link Turkmenistan with Azerbaijan. While Russia has reportedly opposed the planned Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan pipeline via the Caspian Sea, this has not deterred the involved parties, including Türkiye, from promoting the project since 2022.
The Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) plays a crucial role in ensuring natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Türkiye and Europe. Stretching 1,850 km (1,150 mi), TANAP is the largest and central segment of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). It runs from Türkiye’s eastern border to its western border with Greece. The South Caucasus Pipeline, measuring 691 km (429 mi), is the first segment of the SGC, connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. The European portion of the corridor — the 878 km-long (546 mi) Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) — begins in Greece and links the country with Albania and Italy.
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