Moscow 'not demanding' Ankara quit EU for Shanghai pact
Russia does not expect Turkey to halt or estrange ties with the European Union while the country carries out accession talks with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Russian ambassador said yesterday.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Andrey Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Ankara, said, "It is all is up to Ankara. During the [SCO] membership process, we are not at all demanding from Turkey to refrain or halt its relations with the EU."
"Russia is ready to cooperate with Turkey in every sense, at the bilateral or international level," Karlov said, assuring Turkey of Russia's cooperation.
The remarks come after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier said Turkey was beginning to think about other blocs instead of the EU, especially the SCO.
About the upcoming meeting between Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Mediterranean province of Antalya on Thursday, he said the meeting would carry a symbolic meaning in the new phase of bilateral relations between the two countries.
"The latest issues in Ukraine and Syria will top the agenda. This meeting will play a key role in cooperation," Karlov added.
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım is also due to visit Russia between Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
Turkey-Russia energy projects
Karlov said Russia wants to see Turkey as a natural gas transit hub, and to this end, it supports the TurkStream natural gas project.
The signing of the intergovernmental agreement for the TurkStream Natural Gas Pipeline Project in Istanbul, between President Erdoğan and Putin on Oct. 10, has ensured that construction works can start for the project, Karlov explained.
The TurkStream project, announced by Putin during a Dec. 2014 visit to Turkey, will carry gas from Russia under the Black Sea to Turkish Thrace. One line, with 15.75 billion cubic meters of capacity, is expected to supply the Turkish market, while a second line intends to carry gas to Europe.
"We expect the construction of the pipeline to start next year and the first gas to arrive in 2019. In the first stage, two lines will be constructed. The first line will have the capacity to meet Turkey's natural gas needs and the other line can transfer gas to third countries in southern Europe in accordance with the agreement, or it can be used to meet Turkey's growing domestic demand," he said.
He also underlined that Russia never relented from its cooperation with Turkey on the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.
Noting that the necessary legislation to speed up the construction of the plant has been passed by the Turkish Parliament, Karlov also said the education of 250 Turkish students in Russia in preparation for employment at the new plant is ongoing.
The agreement on the Akkuyu nuclear plant was signed in 2010. The plant plans to have 4,800 megawatts of capacity in four units and is anticipated to be operational by 2023.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Andrey Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Ankara, said, "It is all is up to Ankara. During the [SCO] membership process, we are not at all demanding from Turkey to refrain or halt its relations with the EU."
"Russia is ready to cooperate with Turkey in every sense, at the bilateral or international level," Karlov said, assuring Turkey of Russia's cooperation.
The remarks come after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier said Turkey was beginning to think about other blocs instead of the EU, especially the SCO.
About the upcoming meeting between Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Mediterranean province of Antalya on Thursday, he said the meeting would carry a symbolic meaning in the new phase of bilateral relations between the two countries.
"The latest issues in Ukraine and Syria will top the agenda. This meeting will play a key role in cooperation," Karlov added.
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım is also due to visit Russia between Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
Turkey-Russia energy projects
Karlov said Russia wants to see Turkey as a natural gas transit hub, and to this end, it supports the TurkStream natural gas project.
The signing of the intergovernmental agreement for the TurkStream Natural Gas Pipeline Project in Istanbul, between President Erdoğan and Putin on Oct. 10, has ensured that construction works can start for the project, Karlov explained.
The TurkStream project, announced by Putin during a Dec. 2014 visit to Turkey, will carry gas from Russia under the Black Sea to Turkish Thrace. One line, with 15.75 billion cubic meters of capacity, is expected to supply the Turkish market, while a second line intends to carry gas to Europe.
"We expect the construction of the pipeline to start next year and the first gas to arrive in 2019. In the first stage, two lines will be constructed. The first line will have the capacity to meet Turkey's natural gas needs and the other line can transfer gas to third countries in southern Europe in accordance with the agreement, or it can be used to meet Turkey's growing domestic demand," he said.
He also underlined that Russia never relented from its cooperation with Turkey on the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.
Noting that the necessary legislation to speed up the construction of the plant has been passed by the Turkish Parliament, Karlov also said the education of 250 Turkish students in Russia in preparation for employment at the new plant is ongoing.
The agreement on the Akkuyu nuclear plant was signed in 2010. The plant plans to have 4,800 megawatts of capacity in four units and is anticipated to be operational by 2023.
Last Update: December 01, 2016 01:58