Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the commissioning ceremony for the new capacities of the Silivri underground gas storage facility near Istanbul that his country plans to become a global gas pricing hub as soon as possible.

"We held talks with Putin (about creating a gas hub on Turkish territory). Thrace will become an energy hub. Our goal is to turn Turkey into a global gas pricing center as soon as possible," he said.

In October, Putin offered Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to create a gas hub for supplies to Europe. On December 4, the Turkish leader said that Ankara was making preparations for the project.