Turkey to start natural gas exports to Syria on August 2 via Azerbaijani swap deal
Qatar to finance new energy corridor aimed at easing Syria’s electricity crisis and supporting refugee return
ANKARA, Turkey (MNTV) — Turkey will begin exporting natural gas to Syria under a trilateral arrangement involving Azerbaijan and Qatar, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced.
Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Bayraktar said the gas, originating from Azerbaijan, will be routed through Turkey’s Kilis province into Syria’s Aleppo governorate as part of a strategic swap deal between Ankara and Baku.
Qatar will finance the initiative, which seeks to alleviate Syria’s worsening energy shortages.
According to Bayraktar, Syria will initially receive up to 6 million cubic meters of gas per day, which could support the generation of 1,200 megawatts of electricity.
However, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir stated that the initial volume will be 3.4 million cubic meters per day, capable of producing approximately 900 megawatts of power, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
The new supply route aims to address Syria’s chronic electricity shortfall, with many households currently receiving only three to four hours of power daily.
The development follows the completion in May of reconstruction work on the Kilis–Aleppo gas pipeline.
It also comes after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Baku earlier this month, where he met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and signed a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation.
During a visit to Damascus in May, Minister Bayraktar outlined a broader energy support package that includes plans to deliver up to 2 billion cubic meters of gas annually and up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
Bayraktar added that a separate electricity transmission line capable of exporting 500 megawatts from Turkey to Syria is awaiting final repairs on the Syrian side.
The upgrade is being supported by World Bank funding. Once operational, the line could raise Syria’s total imported electricity to nearly 900 megawatts.
“This supply will help meet the energy needs of around 1.6 million households in Syria,” said Bayraktar. “It will also accelerate the voluntary return of Syrians currently residing in Turkey.”
Turkey currently hosts nearly 3 million registered Syrian refugees, with many more believed to be unregistered.
A formal launch ceremony for the energy initiative will be held in Kilis on Saturday, with the participation of energy ministers from Turkey, Syria, and Qatar.
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