SOCAR: Azerbaijan to Export 1.2 Billion bcm of Gas to Syria Through Türkiye Annually
SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov was speaking in southern Türkiye, close to the Syrian border, as Türkiye and Azerbaijan launched natural gas exports to Syria. The launch was marked at a ceremony in the city of Kilis, attended by ministers and other officials from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Syria and Qatar.
Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said the project followed agreements in April and July between Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Syria's transitional president Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
Gas would be transported through Turkish territory to Syria under a coordinated arrangement, Jabbarov said.
'By launching gas exports to Syria, Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is capable of exporting gas not only to the West, but also to the East and the South,' he said at the event.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said deliveries were expected to reach around 6 million bcm per day, with potential to supply up to 2 billion bcm annually in the first phase.
The gas would be used to restart power plants in Syria with a combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts, Bayraktar said.
Türkiye, which supported opposition forces in Syria throughout the 13-year civil war that ended in December with the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, has become one of the new Syrian government's main foreign allies while positioning itself to be a major player in Syria's reconstruction.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir said the gas supplies would support basic energy needs in areas affected by conflict.
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RIYADH: Azerbaijan will begin exporting 1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Syria through Turkiye, marking a shift in regional energy cooperation and underscoring Ankara's deepening role in Syrian reconstruction efforts. The gas will be sourced from the Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea, operated by a BP-led consortium, and delivered through a pipeline connecting Turkiye and Syria, according to SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov, speaking at a ceremony in the southern Turkish city of Kilis near the Syrian border. The move follows high-level agreements earlier this year between Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Syria's new President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, said Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, as reported by Reuters. The agreement comes as Turkiye pivots from earlier support for Syrian opposition groups toward rebuilding ties with the Damascus government. Turkish firms in construction, logistics, and manufacturing are positioning themselves to play a lead role in Syria's reconstruction, with damage estimates nearing $1 trillion, according to UN assessments. 'By launching gas exports to Syria, Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is capable of exporting gas not only to the West, but also to the East and the South,' Reuters cited him as saying at the event. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir said the gas supply would enable an additional four hours of electricity per day in several conflict-affected areas by boosting generation capacity by around 750 megawatts. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar noted that the agreement initially targets daily deliveries of 6 million cubic meters, equivalent to the stated 1.2 bcm annually, with potential expansion to 2 bcm per year in the first phase. The gas will help restart power plants in Syria with a combined capacity of 1,200 MW. While the full volume is expected to reach 6 million cubic meters per day, Al-Bashir stated that the initial phase will commence with 3.4 million cubic meters daily. He emphasized that the supplies would directly support energy recovery in areas hardest hit by years of conflict. In a joint press conference in May, Bayraktar said the deal could eventually deliver 2 bcm per year, supporting the generation of up to 1,300 MW of electricity.
