An event was held in the Turkish city of Kilis on the start of the transportation of Azerbaijani gas from the territory of Türkiye to Syria, APA-Economics' correspondent assigned to Türkiye reports.
The event was attended by government representatives and officials from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Syria, and Qatar.
Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SOCAR Mikayil Jabbarov announced that in accordance with the agreements reached during the meetings of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, with the Interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in Antalya on April 11, 2025, and then in Baku on July 12 of this year, Azerbaijani gas has been exported from the territory of Türkiye to Syria in a period of short time. Noting that this will contribute to Syria's energy security, the minister said that the strategic cooperation between the two brotherly countries, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, covering all sectors, including the energy sector, has made it possible to implement this historically important project in a very short time. Thus, brotherly countries are working together to support the reconstruction and development of Syria and are taking important steps.
Mikayil Jabbarov noted that the transportation of Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria via Türkiye is an important milestone in the history of country's energy exports and lays the foundation for a new energy bridge between the South Caucasus and the Middle East. Noting that the number of countries to which Azerbaijani gas is exported has reached 14, the minister said that SOCAR's plans are even bigger, and currently SOCAR plans to acquire shares in gas production projects abroad and deliver the company's gas to new consumer countries.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SOCAR, speaking about the strategic energy projects implemented by Azerbaijan, noted that these initiatives play an indispensable role in ensuring the regional and global energy security of Azerbaijan. The Minister noted that the start of gas transportation from Azerbaijan to Syria with the opening of the Türkiye-Syria Natural Gas Pipeline once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is a reliable and strategic energy supplier. This project will make a significant contribution to expanding the geography of our country's gas exports in new directions.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed Al Bashir expressed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani and Turkish states for their support in improving the welfare of Syria, which has been suffering from the long-standing war, and for the reconstruction of the country.
Stating that a swap agreement was signed with SOCAR, which envisages the delivery of Azerbaijani gas on the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar noted that Azerbaijan, which has always been by Türkiye's side in sad and happy days, has not spared its support in this project. Stating that Azerbaijani natural gas will be exported to Syria via Kilis, the minister said that 6 million cubic meters of natural gas will be transported daily from the "Yavuzlu Measuring Station".
Alparslan Bayraktar said that as a result of gas exports to Syria, power plants there will also start operating soon. At the initial stage, it will be possible to export up to 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Syria per year. Approximately 1,200 megawatts of installed capacity will be activated through this natural gas. This project will make a very significant contribution to the normalization of life in Syria, improve people's living standards and accelerate the process of returning to the country.
Within the framework of the visit of the Azerbaijani delegation, bilateral meetings were also organized with the delegations of Türkiye and Syria. The meetings reviewed the possibilities of expanding cooperation in the energy sector and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.
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11:54
Export of Azerbaijani gas to Syria via Türkiye have begun, APA-Economics' correspondent assigned to Türkiye reports.
Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Director General of the Qatar Development Fund Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, and Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir, who attended the opening ceremony, symbolically turned the valve on the stage after making speeches, thus starting the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Syria.
The ministers signed the pipeline.
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11:20
The inauguration ceremony of Türkiye-Syria natural gas pipeline is being held
The opening ceremony of the natural gas pipeline is being held in the Yavuzlu village of the Kilis province of Türkiye, APA-Economics' correspondent assigned to Türkiye reports.
According to the report, with the commissioning of the pipeline, the export of Azerbaijani gas to Syria via Türkiye will begin.
Officials attend the ceremony
According to the information, the opening ceremony of the pipeline will be attended by the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov, the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye Alparslan Bayraktar, and the Minister of Energy of Syria Muhammad Al-Bashir.
Symbolic opening and speeches are planned
It should be noted that the ministers are expected to deliver speeches at the opening ceremony. After the speeches, the officials participating in the ceremony will be invited to the stage. Then, the valve located on the stage will be symbolically turned, thereby starting the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Syria.
Azerbaijani gas to be used in Syrian power plants
It should be noted that preparations for the transportation of natural gas under the recently signed document between SOCAR and Syria have been completed. In the first stage, 1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas are planned to be sent to Syria annually. The gas will pass through the city of Kilis on the Turkish border and reach the power plants in Aleppo and Homs and will be used for electricity generation. Thanks to this, a production capacity of approximately 1,200–1,300 megawatts is targeted.
Memorandum of Understanding signed between SOCAR and Syria
At the same time, on July 12, within the framework of the working visit of the Interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, to Azerbaijan, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SOCAR and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The Memorandum was signed by the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SOCAR, Mikayil Jabbarov, and the Minister of Energy of Syria, Muhammad Al-Bashir.
