Turkey continues talks with Russia on gas payment deferral — Energy Minister

Turkey continues negotiations with Russia on the deferred payment for natural gas, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Fatih Donmez said on Friday.

“Negotiations with Russia on many issues are in progress. We are negotiating in a way that will be beneficial to us. We are talking about the deferral of payment, and many other issues. At the moment, we have not had a negative experience with Russia,” he said, according to Haberturk TV channel.

Donmez noted that “at the moment the most important issue for all countries is the security and security of supply.”

Bloomberg reported in October, citing sources, that Turkish oil and gas company Botas asked Russia to defer some payments for Russian gas until 2024.

The minister said that the infrastructure for creating a gas hub in the country and a trading platform for Europe is ready. Donmez added he is convinced that Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran will be able to become players on the gas trading platform for Europe being created in the country. He added that Turkey will also become a player on this market – a fee will be charged for servicing transactions at the gas hub. The price of gas will be adjusted in accordance with the price in the markets of Western Europe, he said.

Turkey and Russia are discussing constructing a second nuclear power plant in the country in the Black Sea province of Sinop, Donmez said.

“The project to build a nuclear power plant in Sinop is new for us. At first, we talked with Japan, now we are negotiating with Russia. The conditions for building a nuclear power plant in Sinop may be different compared to the Akkuyu NPP currently under construction. Russia has proposals for a nuclear power plant in Sinop. If we do not agree, we will negotiate with another country,” the minister said in an interview with Haberturk TV channel.

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed construction of a nuclear power plant in the Black Sea province with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year.