Construction of natural gas pipeline between Turkey and Northern Cyprus

Construction has commenced on a 101-kilometer natural gas pipeline connecting Turkey to the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus. According to reports from the pro-government newspaper Sabah, 97 kilometers of the pipeline will be undersea, with a total annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters. Initially, the pipeline will deliver gas from Turkey to the occupied territories, with a potential future phase allowing for reverse flow to transport East Mediterranean gas to European markets. Olgun Amcaoglu, the local official for economy and energy, stated the project would enhance energy security, while Turkey’s Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar indicated that such infrastructure could facilitate future regional energy cooperation. Meanwhile, critics, including journalist Sener Levent, have expressed skepticism regarding Turkey’s reliability as a partner for energy projects. These concerns reference a 2023 ruling by the International Court of Arbitration, which ordered Turkey to pay Iraq approximately $1.47 billion in compensation. That ruling concluded that Turkey had committed irregularities by transporting and selling Iraqi oil without central government authorization between 2014 and 2018.