TurkStream Pipeline Russia-Turkey Categories: MM-Bedrohung Timelines: N-Türkey

The first direct gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey was the Blue Stream, commissioned in 2005. In 2009, Putin proposed a Blue Stream II line parallel to Blue Stream under the Black Sea. The Blue Stream II project did not carry through and the South Stream project took the lead, until it was abandoned in 2014. The TurkStream (then named Turkish Stream) project was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 December 2014, during his state visit to Turkey.

In November 2015, after the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Russia’s Economic Development Minister stated that the TurkStream gas pipeline project falls under the restrictive measures against Turkey. Talks on the project were unilaterally suspended by the Russian side.

On 5 December 2015, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey terminated the TurkStream project, on the grounds of Russian “non-compliance” with Turkish demands surrounding the project.

In late July 2016, following a reconciliation meeting in Moscow, both sides brought the project back on table.

On 10 October 2016, Russia and Turkey officially signed the intergovernmental agreement in Istanbul, confirming commitment in the execution of the project.

Contract with a offshore contractor Allseas for laying the first line was signed on 8 December 2016 and for the second line on 20 February 2017.

Laying of the first line in the Russian offshore section started on 7 May 2017.

On 6 March 2018, the company announced that it has installed more than a half of the offshore pipeline.