Turkey facing natural gas shortage

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Turkish officials said they are concerned about oil and gas supplies from Russia as commercial agreements and winter gas demands threaten imports.

Turkey imports about 60 percent of its gas requirements and roughly 50 percent of its oil from Russia. While Turkey has arrangements for alternative oil supplies should Russia disrupt its exports, Ankara does not have similar arrangement for natural gas, Today's Zaman said Wednesday.

Russia has met Turkish gas demands in the past, but customs procedures and a conflict in the Caucasus threatened transportation routes that terminate at the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.

Analysts say it is unlikely Russia would cut natural gas supplies to Turkey but said Moscow would probably not surpass its export quota, placing Turkey in a potential energy crisis this winter.

Gokhan Yardim, former president of the Turkish state-owned pipeline firm, BOTAS, said quotas remain secure, but supplies from the Caucasus could create problems.

"Extra gas sales are out-of-contract and depend on bilateral relations. But Russia needs money and so needs to sell natural gas. So I do not expect a serious crisis," he said.