Experts say the Nabucco project, “which has been designed to provide Caspian energy to Europe via the shortest route and lowest price possible, has now fallen behind alternative Russian energy projects in terms of feasibility,” Hurriyet Daily informs Oct. 23.

“In the hopes of lessening the dependency on Russian gas, both the European Union and the United States have actively supported the Nabucco project. The signature ceremony held by various governments in Ankara was defined as ‘a breakthrough’ by the high-ranking officials from 15 countries who attended the event in July. However, no deal yet has been signed with potential suppliers so far. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin did not even wait a month before signing a series of cooperation agreements on major energy projects with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in August,” the article reads.

According to Sinan Ogan, Chairman of the International Relations and Strategic Analysis Center (TURKSAM), “Turkey unfortunately made the biggest mistake in supporting the [Russian proposed] South Stream pipeline in return for [Russia agreeing to use the proposed] Samsun-Ceyhan route.”

“Turkey only considers commercial profits and has to change its policy in line with evolving conditions. Russia, however, follows a more strategic and geopolitical policy and gets closer to its final goal step-by-step. The conditions are changing against Nabucco in favor of South Stream because of Turkey’s commercial approach.

No gas project can be realized without Azerbaijan. The Nabucco project is on the agenda but we are seeing the worst days in the history of our relations with Azerbaijan. Reconciliation with Armenia will be meaningless unless a settlement between Baku and Yerevan takes place. How can you put Armenia on the route of Nabucco if it doesn’t find peace with the supplier country?” the article quotes Ogan.