Moscow and Ankara inaugurate the TurkStream and re-launch diplomacy in the Middle East

Putin and Erdogan officially opened the pipeline that transports Russian gas to southern Europe, via Turkey. A 930 km project, with a single 813 mm pipe at 2.2 km depth. When fully operational, it will be able to transport 31 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Moscow and Ankara revive dialogue and de-escalation in Libya and on the US-Iran front.

Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Turkey and Moscow is strengthening their strategic partnership in the energy field as well as on the main dossiers in the Middle East and North African region, in particular the conflict in Libya and the escalation between the United States and Iran in Iraqi territory.

Yesterday in Ankara, in fact, the two countries formally launched the TurkStream pipeline that will transport Russian natural gas to southern Europe, passing through Turkey. The move fits into the context of the initiatives launched by the Kremlin to reduce transit across Ukraine.

The project, which runs for 930 km along the Black Sea, further strengthens the already strong ties between Russia and Turkey, which blossomed last year with the signing of a contract for the supply of a defensive missile system that infuriated the United States.

There is also collaboration, despite being on opposite fronts (Vladimir Putin close to Assad, Recep Tayyip Erdogan godfather of the pro-extremist Islamic opposition), in the Syrian conflict and, in particular, in the north-east where Ankara launched a military offensive in recent months.

Yesterday Putin and his host Erdogan inaugurated the TurkStream project in the context of a solemn ceremony in Istanbul, which was also attended by the leaders of Serbia and Bulgaria. The pipeline, stressed the head of the Kremlin, is a sign of "interaction and cooperation for the benefit of our people and the peoples of all Europe, of the whole world".

On 5 January, Bulgartransgaz confirmed that the network is already operational and carrying gas to the Old Continent. It can also boast a technological peculiarity: for the first time, an 813 mm diameter pipe was laid at a depth of 2.2 km.

The pipeline terminal is located near the Turkish village of Kiyikoy, about 20 km away from the Bulgarian border. At the same time, Moscow is doubling the capacity of the Nord Stream, which crosses the Baltic Sea to Germany, a project also created with the aim of bypassing Kiev, which is currently the main transit hub for Europe.

Through TurkStream, the Russian energy giant Gazprom will channel approximately 31 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year to Bulgaria, replacing the previous section that passed through Ukraine and Romania. The pipeline will consist of two main routes, each with an annual capacity of 15.75 bcm: the first to Turkey and the second to Bulgaria and Serbia, also passing through Hungary.

The leaders of Russia and Turkey took advantage of yesterday's appointment to discuss the main international concerns: on the escalation of tension between Iran and the United States, which risks leading to open conflict, Putin and Erdogan recall that priority must be given to diplomacy and appease the minds of both sides. New attacks, say the two heads of state in the joint appeal, can lead to a spiral of violence and profound instability in the region.

Finally, Libya, for which Turkey and Russia invite the warring parties to declare a ceasefire for January 12th. Ankara supports the government of Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli, recognized by the international community, while Moscow is close to General Khalifa Haftar, who controls Cyrenaica in the eastern sector of the country. Again Putin and Erdogan have called for an end to hostilities, a normalization of the situation in Tripli and other cities, along with peace talks under the auspices of the United Nations.