Russia and Turkey need to balance their energy cooperation, Turkish Ambassador to Russia Halil Akıncı stated in his exclusive interview with ITAR-TASS.

“As regards our relations in the energy sector, I can say they are not quite balanced,” Akıncı said. Ensuring bilateral economic balance requires increasing Turkish exports. This has to do with money, but a strategic aspect is present as well.

Numerous critics in Turkey think the country is making itself dependent on only one energy resource suppler, namely, Russia. When an NPP construction project was discussed in Turkey, the Opposition was severely critical of the project. Some stated that Turkey was already energy-dependent on Russia and was becoming dependent in terms of nuclear energy as well. However, despite the above, Russian-Turkish relations can be termed as friendly, and mutual confidence is at a rather high level, Akıncı said.

The diplomat pointed out a number of energy projects, particularly the Samsun-Ceyhan project of piping Russian and Kazakh oil. There was a proposal to supply Russian gas to Europe through Turkey by means of the Blue Stream-2 pipeline. The South Stream gas pipeline project is being discussed. The project is estimated at several billion U.S. dollars. “This all necessitates a clear balance in our energy relations,” Akıncı said.