Assessing Turkey's Future as an Energy Transit Country
Jul 28, 2006
In-Depth Reports
On July 13, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (BTC) was formally opened, connecting the Caspian oil basin with the Mediterranean and providing a more direct route to Western markets. The pipeline also represents one of several developments that may propel Turkey into a central role in the global energy industry.
To discuss these developments, The Washington Institute is pleased to present a new entry in its Research Note series. The paper offers a comprehensive assessment of all completed, ongoing, and planned pipeline projects in the Black Sea littoral and beyond, covering output statistics, construction and maintenance costs, key political issues, and numerous other factors. It also outlines the domestic measures Turkey will need to pursue in order to take advantage of the pipelines transiting its territory. From European dependence on Russian oil to pipeline security in regional hot spots, Turkey's future direction as an energy corridor will have potentially profound implications for a wide array of issues affecting global oil and gas markets.
