The planned natural gas pipeline stretching between Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) could evolve and expand beyond an energy security project into a strategic export corridor for Eastern Mediterranean gas, potentially strengthening Türkiye's role as a regional gas hub, analysts say.
Türkiye and the TRNC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on natural gas supplies on July 10, after which Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that work had begun on a subsea pipeline linking the two.
Bayraktar said the planned pipeline would stretch 101 kilometers (63 miles), including 97 kilometers offshore and 4 kilometers onshore, connecting Anamur on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast with Teknecik in the TRNC.
The project envisages two 22-inch pipelines designed to operate in both directions, allowing natural gas to flow from Türkiye to the TRNC while also enabling any future gas production from the island to be transported to Türkiye and potentially onward to Europe.
Analysts said the proposed capacity appears to exceed the TRNC's foreseeable domestic demand, suggesting the project could eventually serve broader regional gas trade.
