Turkey, Syria reach gas deal

ANKARA, Turkey, July 15 (UPI) -- Turkey will sell 35 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 400 megawatts of electricity to Syria within the next five years, officials said.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz met with his Syrian counterpart Sufian al-Alou in Ankara to discuss bilateral economic relations.

Syria is pushing to broaden its regional energy relations with its neighbors. Iran in May signed a memorandum of understanding in Baghdad with Iraq and Turkey to link power and energy networks with Syria.

Damascus sees its energy relationship with its neighbors as a potential source of economic recovery as Syria struggles with falling oil revenue and a stagnant market.

Yildiz said Turkey would transfer about 35 billion cubic feet of gas to Syria within the next five years as regional gas pipelines come online, Turkish daily Today's Zaman reports.

Alou said his country has the capacity to meet about 85 percent of its own gas demands, leaving it dependent on imports to meet the shortfall.

The Syrian energy minister said the agreement would strengthen bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.

"We hope the agreements on gas and electricity sales will give a momentum to the improvement of mutual relations with Turkey," he said.