Bayraktar: We proposed capacity for southbound sales on Türkiye–TRNC power link
Bayraktar said they had proposed to Greece reserving capacity for companies seeking to sell electricity to the south via the planned undersea power link, but the proposal was not accepted.
This article was translated from Turkish with the help of artificial intelligence. Read the original (Türkçe)
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, said they had proposed using the planned undersea electricity connection between Türkiye and the TRNC for electricity trading with the south of Cyprus as well. According to Bayraktar, the proposal to reserve capacity on the link for companies wishing to sell electricity was conveyed to Greece but was not accepted.
Speaking to foreign media, Bayraktar said he had put the proposal directly to the Greek Foreign Minister. He said it had been rejected for political reasons and argued that this model could provide the island with cleaner, lower-cost electricity.
Proposal to reserve capacity for electricity trading
Bayraktar said Türkiye’s connection to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) meant the planned new interconnector could make technical progress. However, he said objections from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus had turned the process into a political issue.
The proposal is for the planned connection to the TRNC to be considered not only as a link intended to meet the north’s electricity needs, but also as one that companies selling electricity to the south could use. The new point highlighted in Bayraktar’s remarks was that the proposal to reserve capacity for this trade had been put to Greece.
Goal of operating the natural gas pipeline in both directions
Bayraktar also reiterated that the planned natural gas pipeline between Türkiye and the TRNC could be used for reverse flow in the future. He said that if gas were found in the Eastern Mediterranean by Türkiye or another actor, it could be transported from the island to Türkiye and then on to the European market.
The plan for the natural gas pipeline had previously been made public. Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announced on 10 July 2026 that the approximately 101-kilometre Anamur–Teknecik pipeline was envisaged as a bi-directional line. Türkiye had announced on 23 May 2026 that it was developing an electricity transmission line and a natural gas pipeline for the TRNC.
Sources
- Bugün Kıbrıs — Bayraktar’dan iş birliği mesajı: “Kıbrıs’ın güneyine elektrik satmayı Yunanistan’a önerdik, kabul etmediler”
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