Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday that Türkiye is the most reliable route to deliver gas to the European Union and proposed building what he called a supply hub in the country.
Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan, Putin said energy supplies from Russia to Türkiye were in "full flow" and in accordance with requests.
"In the course of the work of this hub, which we could create together, of course, it would also be a platform not only for supplies, but also for determining the price, because this is a very important issue – the issue of pricing," Putin told Erdoğan at a meeting in Kazakhstan.
"Today, these prices are sky-high; we could easily regulate at a normal market level, without any political overtones."
Putin first suggested on Wednesday that Russia could create a major gas hub in Türkiye by redirecting supplies intended for the damaged Nord Stream undersea pipelines. Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating the blasts as acts of sabotage but have not yet said who they believe was responsible.
Putin also said the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Mersin, southern Türkiye is going according to the schedule, and it might be able to start operations next year, the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.
Russia continues gas deliveries via the TurkStream gas pipeline despite attempts to damage it, Putin added.
In the televised exchange between the two leaders, Erdoğan did not comment on the gas hub idea.
Erdoğan has sought to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv since Putin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. He achieved a diplomatic breakthrough when, together with the United Nations, he brokered an agreement in July allowing for the resumption of commercial Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia had blockaded.
Putin said at Thursday's meeting that not enough of the grain was going to the poorest countries. Russia also says its own grain and fertilizer exports, while not directly targeted by Western sanctions, are being hampered by problems with access to foreign ports and difficulties in obtaining insurance.
The countries receiving Ukrainian grain under the Istanbul deal should be grateful to Erdoğan, Putin also said.
For his part, Erdoğan said Ankara is determined to strengthen the Istanbul grain deal and to transport Russian grain and fertilizer to underdeveloped countries.
"We are determined to strengthen and continue the grain exports under the Istanbul agreement and the transfer of Russian grain and fertilizer to less developed countries via Türkiye."
"We may work on determining the name of countries. It is important that we focus on the poor countries rather than developed countries," Erdoğan said.
Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which paused after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.
Erdoğan said that the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant is a "very important" step, adding that the opening of the first reactor is expected in the first half of next year.
The entire Akkuyu plant is set to be operational by 2025. The project began with a 2010 intergovernmental agreement between Türkiye and Russia.
Erdoğan also noted that he previously discussed a plan with Putin to build a new nuclear power station in Türkiye's Black Sea province of Sinop.
The Turkish president said he hopes to meet Putin again on the sidelines of a summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.
Samarkand will host a summit of the Organization of Turkic States in November.
