OREANDA-NEWS The EU and Turkey are holding a high-level dialogue on energy in Istanbul on 28 January. The delegation from the European Commission is being led by Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner for Climate Action and the Turkish Delegation is being led by the Energy Minister, Mr.Berat Albayrak.

Discussions are focussing on integrating the Turkish energy market with the EU, energy efficiency and renewables, climate change and a follow-up on the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, gas markets and interconnections, the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, and the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor – Turkey is a key transit country for these gas routes to the EU.

Talks will also cover electricity markets and interconnections, nuclear safety, and regional cooperation and integration in the Energy Community and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on energy.

"Given its strategic location as a transit country in the region, Turkey is a key partner for Europe's energy security and diversification. With the launch of the High-Level Energy Dialogue, Turkey and the EU are injecting renewed political momentum to our energy cooperation. This will lead to concrete actions and projects to our mutual benefit." Arias Cañete said.

The Southern Gas Corridor will help many countries in Central and South East Europe to diversify their sources of gas, boosting their energy security. It will expand the infrastructure that can bring gas to the EU from the Caspian Basin, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. When the route opens in 2019/2020, it will allow around 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas to flow along the route, possibly rising to 80-100 bcm in the long term.

In this way, the Southern Gas Corridor has the potential to meet up to 20% of the EU's gas needs.

TANAP is a natural gas pipeline running on the eastern to western Turkish border. It will be a central part of the Southern Gas Corridor, and will connect the large Shah Deniz II gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe. When completed in 2018, it will allow 16 bcm of natural gas to flow, rising to 30 bcm.