Türkiye’s newfound energy independence: A gamechanger in the region
In the 19th century, coal was prominent, followed by oil in the 20th century and natural gas in the 21st century. While the use of renewable energy has increased during this time, natural gas remains one of the main energy sources due to its use in homes, electricity generation, and direct use in industry.
Despite being a fossil fuel, natural gas is considered a strategic energy source for many countries that consume and produce it due to its cleanliness and widespread use.
Countries with Natural Gas Resources
Countries with natural gas resources are in an advantageous position in terms of economic, political, and international diplomacy. Russia, Iran, and Qatar are the top three countries with the most natural gas reserves in the world.
Russia’s dominance in natural gas, particularly during the period that began with its occupation of Ukraine, has led to energy security threats in many European countries that depend on Russia. Therefore, reducing dependency on a single country in energy and, especially, natural gas, ensuring country diversity, and even ending this dependence on different energy sources should be an indispensable goal from both an economic and political perspective.
Türkiye is located in a region where it is close to the countries with the most natural gas resources in the world, including Iran, one of these countries with which it shares a border. Therefore, although Türkiye is highly dependent on imports for natural gas, it has an important advantage due to its proximity to countries with natural gas resources and its central location between the countries that consume the most natural gas and those that produce the most.
Türkiye has also turned its geographical location into an advantage by implementing international projects such as TANAP and TurkStream to strengthen its central position. This situation has made Ankara a strategic player in the energy equation in the region.
With the discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea, Türkiye will no longer be only highly dependent on imports for natural gas, but also become a producer, strengthening its central position among the countries that produce and consume the most natural gas.
This will mark the beginning of a new era in energy.