Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking upon his return from Russia following a one-day working visit, provided insights and answered questions from journalists during the plane journey.
Erdoğan stated the following:
"In our meeting with Putin, we discussed the energy sector under separate headings. We are planning to implement different projects to deliver energy products to Europe and the world through our country. With the establishment of a natural gas center in Türkiye, we will make advancements in both energy transmission and pricing. Our goal is to turn our country into an energy hub, and we have laid the necessary infrastructure and physical facilities for this purpose in recent years.
With our energy diplomacy successes, we have demonstrated that no steps can be taken in the Eastern Mediterranean without involving Türkiye. Now, we are working to make our country a significant energy hub through natural gas agreements. We are committed to maintaining the Türkiye-Russia energy relationship based on mutual benefit.
In Türkiye, we have developed a unique plan for this endeavor. Similar to our Financial Center in Istanbul, we plan to establish a center for natural gas, akin to centers established for specific industries in London and Hamburg. We intend to discuss this plan with Russia. Our vision extends beyond natural gas and includes energy and mining as well. We aim to create a multifaceted center that welcomes participants for various activities related to energy, natural gas, and mining. This center can potentially be set up within the Ataşehir block of our Financial Center in Istanbul. We envision a hub that serves the finance, monetary, and related sectors."
