Russia is building Turkey's first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu on the shores of the Mediterranean, a controversial $20 billion project aimed at improving its energy self sufficiency.
Turkey is also one of the top importers of Russian gas and had joined forces with Moscow in a major project to build a new gas pipeline underneath the Black Sea.
But speaking to Turkish reporters en route to Japan, Erdogan warned Moscow such cooperation was at risk due to its bombing of Syria and violations of Turkish airspace.
"Losing Turkey would entail significant losses for Russia," Erdogan said. "Others can build the Akkuyu plant if the Russians don't."
"Russia has already invested $3 billion in this project. In this case, it's Russia who should act with more prudence."
He added that energy-poor Turkey was even capable of going elsewhere for its natural gas supplies.
"We are a number one consumer of Russian natural gas. If necessary, Turkey can take its natural gas from many other different places," he added.
"We are saddened that Russia is acting in a way that could provoke the loss" of its economic interests in Turkey, he said.
Erdogan this week warned Russian President Vladimir Putin he risked losing Turkey as a friend if Moscow continues its behavior in Syria.
Ankara, a NATO member, is furious over Russia's air campaign in Syria to prop up the regime of President Bashar Assad, who Turkey wants to see ousted.
Meanwhile, Russian warplanes have twice violated Turkish airspace.
On a visit to Ankara in December 2014, Putin announced that Turkey and Russia would team up to build a new TurkStream pipeline to pump Russian gas to Europe underneath the Black Sea and avoiding Ukraine.
But TurkStream appears to have become a casualty of the latest tensions, with Russian gas giant Gazprom Wednesday saying that the project would be delayed.
AFP
dailystar.com.lb
8/10/15
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Russia wants to keep good ties with Turkey - Kremlin...
ReplyDeleteRussia wants to keep good ties with Turkey, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, after Ankara voiced its growing anger at Moscow's military intervention in Syria.
"As for the Russian air force operation in Syria, our actions in support of safeguarding Syria contribute to ensuring stability and security in the region sitting on Turkey's borders," Peskov told a call with journalists.
Peskov also said any increased presence of British troops in eastern Europe would be regrettable and would amount to Britain using an alleged Russian threat as camouflage to press ahead with NATO expansion.
Peskov said Russia would act in order to ensure "parity" should Britain do this.
Reuters