Turkey ready to cooperate to provide energy security for Central Europe

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that the government is willing to cooperate in energy supply and demand of Central Europe, especially Hungary. After attending the Turkey-Hungary Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting organized in the Hungarian capital Budapest, Davutoğlu held a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Davutoğlu recalled that in 2009, both countries collaborated on the Caspian Energy Corridor Project, which would have crossed through the Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, but was not realized due to weak energy strategies of the European Union. He added that the Nabucco Project was not satisfactory and stressed that Turkey, along with being an important energy consumer, is also a transit country for energy. Energy pipelines from the Caspian region cross through Baku-Tbilisi-Kars via the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) Project, which links the Caspian region to the Balkans. Davutoğlu also underscored that there are new lines that will deliver energy to Turkey from Iraq and Iran, and he said that a deal with Russia would turn Turkey into an energy hub.

"Currently, we are evaluating Russia's offer to change the course of South Stream project and turn the project into the Turkish Stream. There are feasibility works taking place. If this project is implemented, one stream will be the one coming from the Caspian region and reaching Greece then Italy through the TANAP and TAP projects. The other would be the stream from Russia, which would be able to carry natural gas to Hungary and Central Europe after Turkey's demand is met," Davutoğlu said.

The Hungarian prime minister said that the last six years have turned out to be advantageous for Turkey, while Hungary has had hard times. Recalling the Nabucco Project, Orban said they worked to put the project on the EU's agenda, but could not. Orban said that they are worried about natural gas supply after the cancellation of the South Stream project, which they will do their part to fulfill despite Bulgaria and Serbia. Orban also explained their expectation in terms of receiving Russian gas from Turkey and distributing it to Serbia and Hungary.

Davutoğlu highlighted that both Turkey and Hungary are NATO allies. "This is our second meeting as the Cooperation Council. Normally, such meetings are usually held with neighboring countries, but while Hungary is not our neighbor, it is closer than one," Davutoğlu said. He added that this visit with six other Turkish ministers is a first and almost counts as a Cabinet meeting. He announced that both countries will strive to improve their strategic alliance in NATO and build a common perspective and approach to Europe. Davutoğlu also said that they have set a $5 billion trade volume target between the two countries, which currently is around $2 billion. "We have made decisions and signed deals for improving our economic relations. Eximbank opening an office in Istanbul is an important step and we are planning a similar move in Budapest," Davutoğlu said. He further underscored that they need to focus on small and medium sized enterprises and also support trade by enabling transit passes and agricultural exports.

Saying that the Danube River is as important as the straits in Turkey, Davutoğlu explressed that they would like to connect Budapest to Istanbul by railway. "We have connected Europe to Asia with the high-speed train Marmaray. We were informed that a similar project has been implemented between Budapest and Belgrade. Through fast train lines between Turkey and Hungary, these two countries can become neighbors.

Davutoğlu said that they focused on energy especially and they are willing to support all of Hungary's efforts and cooperate in this respect as the Turkish government. He also thanked Hungary for its stance in supporting Turkey's ascension to the EU and said that while Europe sometimes hesitates to welcome other nations, Turks and Hungarians are one of the main elements of European identity. Davutoğlu also reinforced that the government is determined to cooperate with Hungary in the EU, NATO and other international platforms.