Turkey and Turkish Cypriot authorities sign memorandum on natural gas pipeline to Cyprus

Kyrenia, Cyprus. The Turkish government and the Turkish Cypriot authorities on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the construction of a natural gas pipeline between Turkey and Cyprus. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar signed the agreement during a visit to the island.

Pipeline route and design

According to Bayraktar, the pipeline will run from the town of Anamur on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast in Mersin province to the Teknecik power station just outside Kyrenia.

He said the project will consist of two parallel pipelines, each 22 inches, or 56 centimetres, in diameter, allowing the system to operate in both directions.

Regional connections

Anamur is located between the cities of Mersin and Alanya, where work is currently underway to connect the two cities with a natural gas pipeline.

At present, Mersin is supplied by natural gas flowing from Azerbaijan via Georgia and from Turkmenistan via Iran.

Minister’s remarks

Bayraktar said the pipeline would be designed not only to transport natural gas from Turkey to the island, but also to carry any natural gas source that may emerge in the region to Turkey and from there into Europe.