Abdulvahit Fidan, General Director of BOTAŞ (Petroleum Pipeline Corporation of Türkiye), delivered an address at the opening session of 30th International Conference and Exhibition “Oil & Gas of Turkmenistan – OGT 2025,” celebrating the historic commencement of Turkmen gas supplies and outlining Türkiye’s strategic vision for making these deliveries long-term and large-scale.
A 30-Year Dream Realized
Fidan expressed his deep pleasure in addressing the conference, noting that his attendance fulfilled a promise made last year: to return and speak about the success of gas deliveries.
“We delivered Turkmen gas to Türkiye for the first time in March this year,”Fidan said, calling the event a “historic achievement” and the realization of a dream pursued for nearly 30 years since the first agreement was signed in 1999.
Fidan attributed the success to the “strong will demonstrated by the leaders of both countries” and the “constructive approach” of Turkmen partners. “That dream finally came true in March this year, when we started receiving Turkmen gas via Iran”, he said.
The Vision for Long-Term Turkmen Gas
While celebrating the initial deliveries, Fidan emphasized that the new objective set by state leaders is to ensure the “long-term and large-scale delivery of Turkmen gas to Türkiye.”
He firmly believes that once achieved, this target “will be a game-changing development not only for Turkmenistan and Türkiye but for the entire region.”
By establishing a robust gas connection with Türkiye’s advanced infrastructure, Turkmenistan will gain “direct access to international markets.” BOTAŞ stands “fully ready” to carry out all necessary efforts under government guidance to realize this “breakthrough project,” which is expected to transform the region’s energy supply routes.
Türkiye’s Role as a Regional Gas Hub
The BOTAŞ General Director provided key insights into Türkiye’s growing role in regional and global gas supply. With annual consumption around 55–60 billion cubic meters (bcm), Türkiye relies heavily on imports, but its focus on supply security has led to massive infrastructure investments. The high-pressure gas pipeline network has grown from 13,000 km to 20,000 km. Approximately 85% (74 million people) of Türkiye’s population now has access to natural gas.
BOTAŞ maintains import and export relations with 34 different countries, exporting pipeline gas to Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary, and expanding its role in the global LNG trade.
Fidan also highlighted key international projects, such as the TANAP project with Azerbaijan, which has delivered 50 bcm of gas to Europe, cementing Türkiye’s position as a leading actor in the region’s natural gas supply landscape. ///nCa, 22 October 2025