Why would Turkey sign on to a massively expensive and redundant underwater pipeline that would eliminate the transit business at the lucrative but over-trafficked Bosporus Straits?  Because when it comes to Gazprom and Eni's South Stream, it is very different to say you support it than it is to actually build it.  Nabucco is likely to work, and looks like it will find the gas to fill capacity - but not before Ankara does everything possible to milk both sides for the maximum concessions.These editors at Zaman don't quite get the issue right, but there is enough perspective here to get an idea of the Turkish mentality on Russian energy politics (resentful of the perceived mistreatment ...

Given all the news this week of Russia and Italy's South Stream deal with Turkey in exchange for a nuclear power plant, I thought I would repost an article written by Robert Amsterdam last fall in Energy Risk on Turkey's political pipelines.

FROM OCT. 2008, ENERGY RISK:

Turkey's political pipelines

Turkey's strategic position at the crossroads of East and West has put it at the centre of a geopolitical tug of war, with energy supply a key driver. Robert Amsterdam examines the energy policies being brought to bear in the region

Turkey's role in global affairs is defined by its geostrategic importance as the bridge between Europe and the Near East. Following Russia's invasion and occupation of Georgia in August, which caused considerable energy supply jitters, Turkey was once again thrust into the spotlight as the European

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As Ed Crooks points out in the FT on the new Russia-Turkey deal on the South Stream pipeline, in the geopolitics of energy, there are no friends, only partners.  Here's what the Russians paid the Turks to sign on to a pipeline that cuts them and Ukraine out of the loop:

To buy Ankara's support, Russia is expected to help with a long list of important projects for Turkey, including an oil pipeline from Samsun in the north of the country to Ceyhan in the south, and one or more nuclear power stations, fulfilling a long-cherished Turkish dream.

It looks as though Mr Erdogan has managed to exact a good price for his support: a sign of how important these pipeline routes are. (...)

In one of the ironies of history, it is Turkey that is now at the heart of those hopes for bringing gas

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Right up there with swine achieving flight and hell freezing over, the probability that European bureaucrats would succeed in building the Nabucco natural gas pipeline was, at least up until a year ago, firmly placed in the realm of impossibility.How things change.  Though nothing is yet guaranteed, on Monday officials from the five transit countries signed a formal agreement in Ankara, Turkey to proceed with the project, injecting fresh optimism into the initiative which could shatter Gazprom's supply monopoly."It's one of those steps that moves Nabucco out of the possible column and into the probable column," one energy analyst told CNN.  "My own guess is roughly by the end of the year, it will be pretty clear that Nabucco will be built."...

Ariel Cohen has a piece on Eurasian pipelines in today's New York Times:

Despite the recession, Russia is moving with the Blue Stream and South Stream projects across the Black Sea to Turkey and Bulgaria in order to keep market share. Gazprom is enhancing its influence in Ankara at the highest levels.

Much-ignored, the role of Turkey in Eurasian energy transit is also crucial. Turkish intransigence has delayed and reduced in size the development of the Caspian off-shore Shah Deniz gas project.

Ankara has also placed daunting conditions of the construction of the proposed Nabucco gas pipeline from Turkey to Europe, which is meant to provide an alternative to Russian-controlled gas, linking the project with Turkey's membership in the European Union, acquiring large amounts of Azeri gas for re-export and using the line for Russian and Iranian gas.

Despite all these factors, the United States and Europe should not lose sight of the strategic ...

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and with offices in Caesarea, Israel, Zion Oil & Gas Inc. (ZN) is an exploration stage company looking for oil and gas in Israel. They explore for oil and gas in onshore areas between Tel-Aviv and Haifa. The company has a current market capitalization of $54.65 million and trades on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX).

Zion Oil & Gas Inc. holds two petroleum exploration licenses. These are the Joseph and Asher-Menashe Licenses between Netanya on the south and Haifa on the north. These licenses cover a total of roughly 162,000 acres. Mr. John M. Brown founded Zion Oil & Gas in April 2000. His mission for the company is to explore for oil and gas in Israel and reach production levels that will help Israel become an energy independent country. Incorporated on July 9, 2003, the company came into being because of an inspirational visit by

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We've had a number of blog posts featuring commentary from Zenyo Baran, and I think this contribution to the WSJ highlights an important area of concern for NATO, Turkey, Georgia, and stability in the Caucasus. Nonetheless, Ankara sided with fellow NATO members in telling Georgia and Ukraine that they would be invited to join the alliance -- albeit without any time frame. But now that Russia has waged war in part over this decision, the Turks will have to pick sides. Deputy chief of the Russian general staff Anatoly Nogoivtsyn already warned Turkey that Russia will hold Turkey responsible if the U.S. ships do not leave the Black Sea. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Ankara on Monday to make clear that Russia means it. Russia is Turkey's largest trading partner, mostly because of Turkey's dependence on Russian gas. More important, the two countries share what some call the ...