Could Assad’s Fall Revive Qatar-Turkey Gas Pipeline Plans?

I don’t think the OCGFC and by extension the United States and Israel are going to allow this to be built, as they’re making a lot of money shipping natural gas to Europe and Israel has designs on gas reserves off Gaza and their own pipeline. And they’re using high energy costs to impoverish citizens and transfer wealth. And credit to the No Agenda Show for the clip and link.

Putin furious as Turkey and Qatar make deal to supply gas to EU thorugh Syria into Turkey hub – Velocity.mp3

https://thedeepdive.ca/could-assads-fall-revive-qatar-turkey-gas-pipeline-plans/


By JP Alegre

The collapse of Syria’s Assad regime could revive discussion of a strategic natural gas pipeline project that was blocked for over a decade, though significant security and political challenges remain.

The proposed $10 billion, 1,500-kilometer Qatar-Turkey pipeline, which Bashar al-Assad rejected in 2009 to protect Russian interests, would transport gas from Qatar’s massive South Pars/North Dome field through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria to Turkish distribution terminals.

Assad’s flight to Russia on Sunday, following the rebel capture of Damascus, did not just end a 13-year civil war and a brutal 50-year reign, it also removed a key opponent of the project. However, Syria faces immediate stability challenges under its new leadership. A curfew remains in place in the capital, with streets largely empty except for fighters, many from the northwestern province of Idlib.

The pipeline would give Qatar, which shares the world’s largest natural gas repository with Iran, a land route to European markets. Currently, Qatari gas reaches Europe only as liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped by sea, restricting volume and raising costs.

For Russia, which provides 70% of its gas exports to Europe, the loss of its Syrian ally could affect its regional influence. The European Union, receiving 30% of its gas from Russia, has long sought to diversify its energy sources.

Any revival of the pipeline project would require significant international cooperation to ensure Syria’s stability and reconstruction after more than a decade of civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and created one of the largest refugee crises in modern times.

Syria’s new dominant force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has spent years attempting to distance itself from its militant past. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, pledged on Sunday to rebuild Syria, while the existing government has indicated willingness to assist with power transfer.

However, regional security concerns persist. The United States conducted air strikes against Islamic State targets on Sunday, while Israel struck sites linked to Iran and moved tanks into the border buffer zone. Both nations cite concerns about militant groups potentially exploiting the power transition.