WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) -- Besides Russia, the former Soviet republics that have hit the energy jackpot are all clustered around the Caspian Sea. While Azerbaijan, with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, is already hardwired into the Western economy, Turkmenistan's potential has yet to be fully developed, and its natural gas exports have been locked in for the foreseeable future first by Russia and, to a lesser extent, by China.

Kazakhstan, while currently relying on the international joint venture Caspian Pipeline Corp. pipeline to Russia's Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea, nevertheless has plans to diversify its export routes to international markets and in this desire has no more ardent suitor than energy-poor Turkey, angling to position itself as the Caspian's premier energy hub.

Turkish intentions were made clear May 6 by Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen in discussions with Kazakh Tourism and Sports Minister Temirhan Minaydarovic Dosmuhambetov, who was in Ankara to attend the Turkey-Kazakhstan Joint Economic Commission meetings.

"The current trade volume between Turkey and Kazakhstan has exceeded $2.3 billion," the Turkish minister said. "If we succeed in developing a single customs code in (all of) Central Asia, we will reach a rapidly increasing trade volume.

"Kazakhstan has a production of 55 million tons of oil and 14.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas. We want to transport Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and Kazakh natural gas through the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline."