Turkey is becoming a strategic energy hub for Europe in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine, according to a new report by a leading German foundation.
Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s confidential report, which has been sent to conservative German lawmakers, recommended enhanced cooperation between Berlin and Ankara to address energy problems and security challenges.
“In terms of diversifying Germany’s energy policy, there are limited alternatives to Russia in the short term,” the report said, underlining that Turkey offers “real alternatives,” as European countries are seeking to reduce their dependency on Russia.
Germany is trying to wean itself off Russian energy in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, but this is an uphill battle after decades of relying on Russia for energy supplies.
Its Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Friday said Germany has made significant progress toward reducing its exposure to imports of Russian gas, oil and coal since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Imports of Russian oil account for 25% of German imports, down from 35% before the invasion, and gas imports have been cut to 40% from 55%, Habeck said. Russian hard coal imports were down to 25% from 50% before the invasion.
By this summer, the share of Russian gas imports will fall to 24%, but the minister said it could take until the summer of 2024 for Europe’s largest economy to no longer be reliant on Russian gas.
The report highlighted Turkey’s growing role as a strategic energy hub for Europe to bring natural gas from the Caspian Basin, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean Basin.
According to the report, Iran’s natural gas and oil can also be transported via Turkey, if talks on the revival of the Iran nuclear deal turn out successful.
The failure of efforts to restore a 2015 accord, which would curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions that have hammered Iran’s economy, risks spiking political tensions in the Middle East and further increasing world oil prices, analysts say.
The report also noted the reengagement between Turkey and Israel, saying that as their cooperation on energy is now becoming more realistic, “Turkey is emerging as an energy hub.”
Konrad Adenauer Foundation prepared the report after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Ankara on March 14, in which he called for closer dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Turkey.
“We will do our best to expand our bilateral relations and to realize the full potential of our cooperation,” Scholz said during the trip.
Experts of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation underlined that Germany and Turkey should also enhance cooperation in the fields of security and foreign policy.
“The war in Ukraine has shown that despite their differences, it is necessary for Berlin and Ankara to further intensify their strategic and security partnership,” they said in the report.
“In addition to Ukraine, there are other regional crises that show the need for closer rapprochement between Turkey and Germany, such as the fragile situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, developments in the South Caucasus and in Afghanistan, the Russian presence in Africa, and the future orientation of the Central Asian countries.”
The report also recommended German policymakers pay more attention to Turkey's security needs and its expectations from its European partners.
“Turkey will continue to be in the Western bloc in the future and will remain the most important NATO ally on the southeastern flank,” it stressed.
“Its location makes Turkey a key player in the South Caucasus, the Black Sea region and the Middle East, and it is of fundamental geostrategic importance for Europe, hence Germany cannot ignore its security perceptions and interests,” it noted.
