Ankara, Turkey. Turkey and the administration in the north have revived plans for major energy projects linking the two, including an electricity interconnection and a proposed natural gas pipeline. The renewed agenda follows high-level talks in Ankara involving Turkish and northern officials.
Talks in Ankara on energy projects
The meetings involved Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and the north’s “prime minister” Unal Ustel. Discussions focused on strengthening the north’s energy system through new and upgraded facilities, including mobile power plants, maintenance of existing grids and technical studies on gas transport.
Project status and next steps
Officials said feasibility work on an electricity cable has been completed, while planning for a gas pipeline is moving towards an investment phase. Both sides described the projects as part of a wider strategic energy framework aimed at improving stability and supply resilience.
Statements on energy security and infrastructure
Yilmaz said the talks covered “projects aimed at strengthening energy security” in the north, as well as increasing “electricity generation capacity and advancing natural gas supply”. He said current work includes mobile generation units, upgrades to energy infrastructure and technical preparation for natural gas systems, with the objective of making the north’s energy network more robust and less dependent on external constraints.
Mobile power plants and cooperation agreements
Turkish officials said several mobile power plants have been deployed in recent years under financial cooperation agreements, with maintenance and fuel supply support continuing through bilateral arrangements.
Pipeline plan described as long-term shift
Ustel described the pipeline plan as a “project of the century”, saying natural gas would first be used for electricity generation before expanding into wider energy use.
What do you think the proposed electricity interconnection and gas pipeline could change about energy supply in the north?
