Experts believe Türkiye could serve as a reliable and alternative energy supplier for Slovakia as the country seeks to secure its natural gas supply following the halt of gas flows from Ukraine.
After Ukraine ceased the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe on Jan. 1, Slovakia has been exploring energy cooperation with Türkiye to ensure gas imports through a secure route.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Türkiye on Jan. 20, accompanied by a delegation, and held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan announced during a press conference following their meeting that Türkiye would engage in diplomatic efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address Slovakia’s gas needs.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also commented on the visit, 'Following President Erdogan's directives, we have evaluated the gas shortage Slovakia is facing due to the halt in gas flows through Ukraine. During the visit, we discussed the issue with Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova,'
Experts suggest that Türkiye could play a pivotal role in meeting Slovakia’s energy needs by expanding pipeline capacities and providing an alternative to the halted Ukrainian gas route.
Türkiye as the most viable route for Slovakia
'Since the gas import from Russia via Ukraine has stopped since this year, if Slovakia keeps to import gas from Russia, almost only realistic alternative route is via Türkiye. Also, Türkiye keeps diplomatic relations with Russia, so the importance of Türkiye to Slovakia and its energy security has been increased,' Takafumi Yanagisawa, Executive Analyst at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan Gas Group. told Anadolu.
He added that 20% of Slovakia’s primary energy consumption is natural gas, and over 60% of this gas still comes from Russia, although Slovakia has been working to diversify its gas import sources, such as from Norway, following the Ukraine crisis. As a result, the disruption of gas flow through Ukraine is critically important for Slovakia's energy security.
'In the near term, Türkiye's expected role is to increase its gas supply to Europe to offset the loss caused by the disruption of the pipeline through Ukraine,' Yanagisawa noted. He emphasized that Türkiye’s role in filling the gap is crucial, given the strategic importance of the Ukraine route for Slovakia's gas and energy security.
Potential cooperation with Slovakia on natural gas
Busra Zeynep Ozdemir, a researcher at the SETA Foundation, highlighted Slovakia’s long-term gas contracts with Russia, noting that the country imported 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023, 94% of which transited through Ukraine.
Ozdemir explained that Slovakia plays a key role in transmitting Russian gas to Central Europe, with 4-4.5 billion cubic meters used domestically and the remainder delivered to Austria and Poland. 'The Hungary-Slovakia interconnector allows for bidirectional flows, but capacity limitations necessitate upgrades to fully meet Slovakia’s gas needs,' she said.
'Türkiye could contribute to Slovakia's gas supply through two main routes. The first involves Russian gas transported via the TurkStream pipeline to Hungary and then to Slovakia. Currently, TurkStream’s second line delivers gas to Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary. However, expanding pipeline capacity would be essential to accommodate Slovakia’s demand,' she said
Ozdemir further emphasized that Türkiye could sign gas export agreement with Slovakia to meet its gas needs.
'Türkiye significantly increased its natural gas exports in 2024 by leveraging LNG terminals and delivering gas to neighboring countries. Slovakia could similarly benefit from Türkiye's expanding gas export capabilities, provided infrastructure upgrades are implemented,' she noted.
Ozdemir said that such developments would not only enhance Slovakia's energy security but also advance Türkiye's goal of becoming a regional energy hub and contributing to Europe's energy supply diversification.
