No Nabucco without Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16 (UPI) -- The heralded Nabucco gas pipeline to Europe cannot be built without Azerbaijan taking part in the project, Turkish officials said.

Sukru Elekdag with the Republican People's Party in Turkey said Azerbaijan's role in Nabucco would determine the ultimate feasibility of the project, the Trend News Agency reports.

"If Azerbaijan supports this project, then it (Nabucco) can be implemented," he told reporters in Baku.

Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler has said his country was waiting for a European response on the gas pipeline but expected to sign off on the project by June.

The $10.7 billion Nabucco project would bring natural gas from Caspian and Middle Eastern suppliers to European markets. Turkey would host a significant portion of the pipeline.

Azerbaijan and other Caspian suppliers have emerged as major players in the regional energy sector. The offshore Shah Deniz gas field is one of the largest discoveries in the last 20 years with at least 15 trillion cubic feet in potential reserves.