TurkStream: Turkey's Key Russian Gas Artery
TurkStream is a major natural gas pipeline that runs under the Black Sea from Anapa on Russia's southern coast to Kıyıköy on Turkey's European coast in Thrace. It is the successor to the cancelled South Stream project and serves two distinct purposes — supplying Turkey directly and providing a transit route for gas destined for southeast and central Europe.
Pipeline Structure: Two Lines, Two Purposes
TurkStream consists of two parallel offshore strings, each with an annual capacity of approximately 15.75 billion cubic metres (bcm), giving a combined offshore capacity of around 31.5 bcm/year.
| Line | Destination | Capacity (bcm/year) | Commissioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | Turkey (domestic supply) | ~15.75 | January 2020 |
| Line 2 | Southeast/Central Europe (transit) | ~15.75 | January 2020 |
The offshore section spans approximately 930 kilometres across the Black Sea floor. The onshore receiving terminal is located near Kıyıköy, where gas is processed and then directed either into Turkey's national grid or onward via the Balkan Gas Hub route through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, and Austria.
How TurkStream Fits Into Turkey's Gas Supply
For Turkey, Line 1 of TurkStream replaced the older Trans-Balkan Pipeline (TBP) route — which ran gas through Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria — as the main channel for Russian gas into Anatolia. Turkey receives Russian gas through TurkStream and uses it for power generation, industrial heating, and residential consumption, particularly in western Turkey.
Russia has historically been Turkey's largest single gas supplier, and TurkStream is the physical embodiment of that commercial relationship. However, Turkey has been actively diversifying its supply mix — expanding Azerbaijani imports and LNG capacity — partly to reduce dependence on any single supplier.
The European Transit Role
Line 2 positions Turkey as a transit country for Russian gas reaching southeast European nations that are not served by the Northern European gas networks. Countries including Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary receive Russian gas via this route. This gives Turkey a degree of geopolitical leverage as well as transit fee revenue.
Since the major disruption to Russian gas flows to Europe following the conflict in Ukraine, the volumes flowing through Line 2 have fluctuated significantly. Some European buyers have reduced or halted Russian gas imports, while others — particularly in the Balkans and Central Europe — have continued to receive gas via TurkStream as an alternative to Ukrainian transit.
Geopolitical Dimensions
TurkStream's operation places Turkey in a delicate balancing position:
- Turkey maintains a commercial gas supply relationship with Russia via TurkStream while simultaneously being a NATO member and hosting Ukrainian transit gas alternatives.
- Ankara has used its position as a TurkStream transit country to advocate for a "gas hub" concept — a price discovery and trading centre for gas transiting through Turkish territory.
- Western partners have urged Turkey to limit Russian gas transit as part of broader energy sanctions efforts; Turkey has largely maintained a neutral commercial stance.
The Proposed Turkish Gas Hub
Following discussions between President Erdoğan and President Putin, Turkey has expressed interest in developing a gas trading hub on its territory — potentially at Thrace — that would allow gas from multiple sources (Russian, Azerbaijani, future Caspian or Middle Eastern) to be traded and priced for onward delivery to European markets. The hub concept remains aspirational at this stage, requiring substantial regulatory, infrastructure, and commercial development.
Key Takeaways
- TurkStream has a total design capacity of ~31.5 bcm/year across two lines
- Line 1 supplies Turkey directly; Line 2 transits gas to southeastern Europe
- It has been operational since January 2020
- Turkey's hub ambitions are linked to TurkStream's transit infrastructure
- Geopolitical developments continue to shape actual flow volumes