Turkey Seeking to Become Regional Energy Hub With Russia’s Help

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during their meeting on sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Oct. 13, 2022. Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik via AP

Ankara appears to have embraced a recent proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin to transform Turkey into a regional hub for the distribution of Russian natural gas.

“We have agreed with Vladimir Putin to create a gas hub in our country, through which natural gas … can be delivered to Europe,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Oct. 19.