Turkey is accelerating preparations for the construction of an underwater gas pipeline to Northern Cyprus, starting a new stage of seabed surveys along the future route on October 26. Ankara has issued a NAVTEX navigation warning that will remain in effect until December 31, 2026.
The surveys will cover 12 pre-determined coordinates in the Mediterranean Sea. Four specialized ships - Denar Pathfinder, Denar Echo, Denar Explorer and Kırıcı - will participate in them. The aim is to collect the necessary technical data on the seabed and the final design of the future gas connection.
The NAVTEX message was issued by the Antalya station on October 23, and the activities are planned for the period from October 26 to the end of the year. Vessels passing through the designated areas have been warned to maintain a safe distance from the research vessels.
The project envisages the construction of an approximately 101-kilometer gas connection between Turkey and the northern part of Cyprus. According to official information from the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the route should start from Anamur, in the southern Turkish province of Mersin, and reach Teknecik, east of Kyrenia.
About 97 kilometers of the route will pass under the Mediterranean Sea, and the remaining about 4 kilometers - on land.
The first agreements for the implementation of the project were signed in July. Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar then announced that work had begun on building a natural gas transmission system between Turkey and Northern Cyprus.
The main goal in the first stage is for natural gas from Turkey to be used to generate electricity on the island. Some of the existing capacities in the northern part of Cyprus operate with liquid fuels, and the switch to natural gas, according to Ankara, should reduce both costs and environmental burden.
The Turkish authorities plan for the gas connection to be two-way. This means that in the event of future natural gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean, the same infrastructure could be used in the opposite direction – to transport gas through Cyprus to Turkey, and subsequently potentially to the European market.
“One of our goals is to supply natural gas to the island and convert the power plants that currently use liquid fuels to a much cleaner fuel“, Bayraktar explained earlier.
According to him, the strategic concept also includes the possibility that in the future, if natural gas is discovered in the Mediterranean, it can be transported in the opposite direction to Turkey and possibly from there to Europe.
The goal is for the gas pipeline to be operational in 2028.
Ankara aims to complete the engineering work on the project in 2026. Bayraktar initially set 2028 as the deadline for putting the gas pipeline into operation.
In a subsequent statement, the Turkish energy minister specified that the engineering and construction activities are planned within approximately 24-30 months.
The current marine surveys are a key part of the preparation, but do not in themselves mean that the laying of the pipes has already begun.
The project also has a political dimension due to the more than half-century-long dispute over Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus disputes Ankara's actions and the agreement with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. Nicosia has already raised the issue with European institutions.
Despite the political opposition, Turkey is continuing the technical preparation of the project. If the announced schedule is met, the new gas connection could become the second major underwater infrastructure corridor between the Turkish coast and the northern part of Cyprus after the previously built water pipeline.
For Ankara, however, the importance of the project goes beyond the island's energy needs – the two-way gas pipeline is part of Turkey's broader strategy to strengthen its role as a transit hub for natural gas between the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe.