Turkey Could Look Elsewhere for Gas Supplies, NPP Builder, Erdogan Tells Russia  

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers his address to the G20 Energy Ministers meeting in Istanbul, Oct. 2, 2015. Erdogan underlined the main priorities of the G20 countries this year under the Turkish presidency. AP/BTA

Turkey could receive the natural gas it needs from sources other than Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday amidst mounting tensions between Ankara and Moscow over recent violations of Turkish airspace by Russian warplanes flying bombing missions in Syria, newswires reported.

He also warned Russia that Turkey can find a builder for its first nuclear power plant other than Russia.

"We can't accept the current situation. Russia's explanations on the airspace violations are not convincing," Reuters quoted Erdogan as saying to reporters on board the plane taking him on an official visit to Japan.

Moscow had also joined forces with Ankara to build Turkish Stream, a new gas pipeline underneath the Black Sea that will carry Russian gas to Turkey and the European Union, bypassing Ukraine.

Erdogan warned Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week he risked losing Turkey as a friend if Moscow continued its violations of the Turkish airspace.

Two years ago Turkey commissioned Russia's Rosatom to build its first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, a project estimated to cost USD 20 B.

Noting that Russia had already invested about USD 3 B in the Akkuyu project, Erdogan said that “losing Turkey would entail significant losses for Russia."

"Others can build the Akkuyu plant if the Russians don't,”  he said according to AFP.

Turkey is the second largest market for Russian gas after Germany. Russian gas supplies meet between 50 and 60 percent of Turkey’s annual needs.

“If necessary, Turkey can take its natural gas from many other different places," Erdogan said.

Turkey summoned Russia’s ambassador for the third time in four days on Wednesday over the reported airspace violations. Turkey's military reported earlier the same day a new incident that took place on Tuesday. They said that surface-to-air missile systems based in Syria locked radar on Turkish warplanes for a minute and a half, while eight F-16 jets were patrolling along the Syria border.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!