Turkey’s Energy Policy in The Caspian Region

After the collapse of the USSR, Turkey began to shape its energy policy toward the Caspian region. Turkish energy policy focused on the development of relations with Azerbaijan, due to geographical location and economic opportunities. This was facilitated by Western countries, which supported projects for the delivery of oil and gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey. Due to the implementation of a series of pipeline projects with Azerbaijan and Georgia, Turkey gained access to the Caspian Sea. As a result, Turkey has become a key player, which, on the one hand, has gained leverage on Baku, and on the other hand, has the ability to regulate the volume of gas supplies to Europe. Having strengthened its position on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Turkey was interested in expanding its presence, including in the energy sector, on the eastern coast – in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. This can be done by the construction of trans-Caspian pipelines or the implementation of energy corridors across the Caspian. However, Turkey will have to take into account the provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, which was adopted in 2018. The document determined the approaches to the laying of export pipelines on the seabed of the Caspian Sea. In addition, Turkish policy will clash with the position of Russia and Iran, which do not support Turkey’s strengthening in the Caspian region, and even more so, the implementation of pipeline projects. In early 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan agreed to develop a controversial oil and gas field in the Caspian, thereby taking a step towards establishing energy cooperation. Turkey will try to take advantage of this fact, as the Azerbaijani-Turkmen cooperation will give a new impetus to the promotion of its interests in the Caspian Region.

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