Türkiye could serve as a reliable alternative energy supplier for Slovakia as the central European country looks for ways to secure its natural gas needs after the suspension of Russian gas flows through Ukraine, according to experts.
Russia's gas flows to Europe ended at the start of the year after the expiration of a transit agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. Ukraine refused to extend the deal, seeking to stop energy revenue going to Moscow to fund its nearly three-year invasion.
Slovakian officials say the move has hurt its economy by pushing up gas prices and also terminating transit fees it had earned in sending the Russian gas further into Europe.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Türkiye this Monday and held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who pledged that Ankara would engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia to address Slovakia's gas needs.
Erdoğan said the Turkish foreign minister would reach out to his Russian counterpart and that he would speak with President Vladimir Putin. "Let's reach a conclusion on Slovakia’s natural gas needs," the president told a joint news conference in Ankara.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said they had received directives from Erdoğan to evaluate the gas shortage Slovakia is facing. "During the visit, we discussed the issue with Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova," Bayraktar wrote on social media platform X.
Fico said the Slovak economy minister would travel to Türkiye to discuss the matter further next week.
Experts suggest that Türkiye could play a pivotal role in meeting Slovakia's energy needs by expanding pipeline capacities and providing an alternative to the halted Ukrainian gas route.
Türkiye could be "almost the only realistic alternative route" if Slovakia keeps importing gas from Russia, said Takafumi Yanagisawa, executive analyst at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.
"Türkiye keeps diplomatic relations with Russia, so the importance of Türkiye to Slovakia and its energy security has been increased," Yanagisawa told Anadolu Agency (AA).
He added that 20% of Slovakia's primary energy consumption is natural gas, and over 60% of this gas still comes from Russia. Following the Ukraine crisis, it has been working to diversify its gas import sources, such as from Norway, he said.
"In the near term, Türkiye's expected role is to increase its gas supply to Europe to offset the loss caused by the disruption of the pipeline through Ukraine," Yanagisawa noted. He emphasized that Türkiye's role in filling the gap is crucial, given the strategic importance of the Ukraine route for Slovakia's gas and energy security.
Meanwhile, Fico has threatened to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine and reduce aid for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, among other measures, if the gas transit issue is not resolved.
He tried to restore the flow and traveled to Moscow last month to meet with Putin in the Kremlin, a move which angered Ukraine.
Fico previously said a deal was close that would have seen gas deliveries via Ukraine continue by having it change ownership beforehand. But he claims Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected extending any gas flows through Ukraine at an EU summit in December.
Büşra Zeynep Özdemir, a researcher at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), highlighted Slovakia's long-term gas contracts with Russia, noting that the country imported 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023, 94% of which transited through Ukraine.
Özdemir explained that Slovakia plays a key role in transmitting Russian gas to Central Europe, with 4 billion-4.5 billion cubic meters used domestically and the remainder delivered to Austria and Poland.
"The Hungary-Slovakia interconnector allows for bidirectional flows, but capacity limitations necessitate upgrades to fully meet Slovakia’s gas needs," she said.
"Türkiye could contribute to Slovakia's gas supply through two main routes. The first involves Russian gas transported via the TurkStream pipeline to Hungary and then to Slovakia. Currently, TurkStream’s second line delivers gas to Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary. However, expanding pipeline capacity would be essential to accommodate Slovakia’s demand," she said
Özdemir further emphasized that Türkiye could sign a gas export agreement with Slovakia to meet its gas needs.
"Türkiye significantly increased its natural gas exports in 2024 by leveraging LNG terminals and delivering gas to neighboring countries. Slovakia could similarly benefit from Türkiye's expanding gas export capabilities, provided infrastructure upgrades are implemented," she noted.
Özdemir said that such developments would not only enhance Slovakia's energy security but also advance Türkiye's goal of becoming a regional energy hub and contributing to Europe's energy supply diversification.