US, Turkey take aim at Russian gas monopoly in Europe
posted at 10:55 am on July 13, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
No wonder Russian president Dmitry Medvedev gave such a sour look when Barack Obama shook his hand. A consortium of nations led by the US has cracked the Russian monopoly on natural-gas sales to Europe with a new pipeline in Turkey. The deal, which had stalled until the Russians cut off deliveries during the winter in a price dispute, will route energy supplies from the Caucasus to Austria:
Officials from six countries gathered Monday in Turkey and signed a deal to build a U.S.-backed pipeline, aimed at breaking Russia’s near-monopoly on natural gas supplies to Europe.
The proposed Nabucco pipeline would run from Turkey’s eastern border, through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, to a key gas terminal in Baumgarten, Austria.
Germany is also a partner in the deal, which is being signed in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Russia controls the current network of pipelines that supply Europe with natural gas.
Russia hopes to build a new empire based on energy production that will dominate Europe, and perhaps Asia as well. Its disputes with Belarus and Ukraine over pricing and rights of passage, and especially Russia’s attack on Georgia, show how critical this monopoly is to Vladimir Putin’s grand strategy for Russian hegemony. After all, Gazprom — the state-owned distributor for natural gas — employs a former German head of state and cabinet minister, a demonstration of Russian influence in Europe whose significance few missed.
A new set of pipelines to eastern and central Europe will shift the balance of power from Moscow to the EU, at least to some degree. Europe will need both suppliers, but now can afford to play the Nabucco consortium against Moscow to get better deals — and to remove the threat of political extortion from their dependence on Russian gas. Putin will no longer have that as a trump card.
Blowback
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All this means is that Georgia will be renamed to Georgia SSR much sooner than previously believed.
Kelligan on July 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Obama inherited this solution from Bush.
albill on July 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Where is the origin of the pipeline? In Turkey, or Georgia? Or someplace else? If the answer is Georgia, then I agree with Kelligan’s gloomy prediction.
jwolf on July 13, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Instead the Turks will. I wonder how they intend to keep Turkey out of the EU now?
Why not just give Muslims the majority and hang yourselves now?
Rocks on July 13, 2009 at 11:05 AM
There’s our next war – as predicted during the Georgian crisis.
OldEnglish on July 13, 2009 at 11:06 AM
It could work out.
myrenovations on July 13, 2009 at 11:06 AM
this must have been in the works for quit some time,these things don’t happen over night,so how long before oboobi takes credit to bolster his foreigh affair cred…
SHARPTOOTH on July 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
If the majority of voters had a brain, Congress had balls, and Obama had a spine.
Dark-Star on July 13, 2009 at 11:08 AM
new caption for picture: Hey Med, pull my finger.
WashJeff on July 13, 2009 at 11:10 AM
True. After having their beloved ideology Reaganed into a festering pile of marxpoop, they now divert their energy in a slightly different direction, seeking to monopolize fossil fuels and become the world’s lone economic superpower.
whitetop on July 13, 2009 at 11:10 AM
GMTA. That was my first thought, also.
zeebeach on July 13, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Yeppers, this isn’t the sort of thing hashed out in six months, not with so many nations and so much money involved. POS Ogabe will still take credit for it though, because it will be perceived as a positive and the POS only accepts responsibility for something when it makes him glow.
Bishop on July 13, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Can we expect TOTUS to give a speech thanking Bush for this great idea?
David in ATL on July 13, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Isn’t the source of the nat’l gas Iran? I don’t think Armenia has natural gas. If it’s better for Europe, it’s only marginally so if Iran is other provider. Also, Armenia is Russia’s best ally in Caucusus. Armenia hates Turkey. Something not adding up.
JiangxiDad on July 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
From the article….
“Since the idea’s inception in 2002, plans for Nabucco have languished amid disagreements among consortium partners and lack of commitment from natural gas suppliers.”.
David in ATL on July 13, 2009 at 11:13 AM
The Turks aren’t any better than the Russians. Worse probably. This will all end badly.
aengus on July 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
We hate islamofascists but we buy their oil everyday. The need to produce energy gives rise to some very odd compromises.
David in ATL on July 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Obama inherited this solution from Bush.
albill on July 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Can we expect TOTUS to give a speech thanking Bush for this great idea?
David in ATL on July 13, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Yes, right after he admits the Stimulus didn’t work, Sotomayer is as racist as they come and he (BO) really isn’t the savior of the world.
tnmama on July 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
What?..Cutting edge enviro-Europe isn’t heating with wind and solar??? What would Al Gore say?
Jeff from WI on July 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
A lot of “ifs” there.
Johan Klaus on July 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
David in ATL on July 13, 2009 at 11:13 AM
yeah, i didn’t click on the link until now….thanks, but oboobi’s still gonna try to take credit.
SHARPTOOTH on July 13, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Merkel charged Obama to make nice with Russia, not just for the EU, but for the US sake.
maverick muse on July 13, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Soooo… let me get this straight.
We, the US, will help build a pipeline so ANOTHER STINKIN ISLAMIC COUNTRY can deliver more energy to the West…
While NOT building or drilling here.
Hey… wonder how much of MY money is going to build this?
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Soooo… let me get this straight.
Isn’t liberalism nice.
Johan Klaus on July 13, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Primary source is Azerbaijan, which had huge pools of Natural gas…. you know… sorta like WE do?
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:24 AM
you do have a helluva point.are how much of our money and what’s the return?
SHARPTOOTH on July 13, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Gee, it’d sure be swell if we had some energy resources in this country to develop.
Oh right, we do. Gazillions of dollars worth.
It’s just that our absolutely worthless, corrupt and incompetent Democrat Party politicians, refuse to allow us to develop them.
Just another one of the great services rendered to the American people, by the Democrat Party.
NoDonkey on July 13, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I’d feel a whole lot better about this if someone like Ciller or Ozal were in charge of Turkey instead of Erdogan. At this point, I’d trust Putin more than Erdogan.
PimFortuynsGhost on July 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM
“Hey… wonder how much of MY money is going to build this?
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:19 AM”
Tell us how much you put into the pump last year and we can give you a rough approximation.
pc on July 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Yeah, as this does not run through any of our territory, the only reason we would be involved in signing this is if we were putting up the bucks.
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Uh, you do know we are talking about a NATURAL GAS pipeline?
And even though considering, I have not yet converted my second vehicle to Compresed Natural Gas (CNG).
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Strategery.
CP on July 13, 2009 at 11:40 AM
For a lighthearted look at the Russian attitude towards the control of gas pipelines, watch:
“Russians mock the gas-dependence of Europe and Ukraine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7RD5ONjv8M
Realist on July 13, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Please do not confuse Turkey with many of the other Muslim countries as some kind of Muslim theocratic regime. While the majority of Turks are Muslim, politically, Turkey is a secular country and has been since the days of Ataturk. While the Justice and Development Party holds a majority in parliament as well as the Prime Ministership, the party was almost banned from existence for being “anti-secular.” Furthermore, any legislation regarding anti-secular activity such as banning the use of alcohol or the wearing of headscarfs has been overturned due to its anti-secular nature. Lastly, the military is the most powerful institution in Turkey, and it would certainly not allow any kind of large scale “anti-secular” activity in Turkey.
Shock the Monkey on July 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Obama, strong supporter in the use of carbon-emitting energy.
ballz2wallz on July 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Just have Gore drive around with a pipe coming out of his shorts. All the natural gas one could dream of in one place.
Hening on July 13, 2009 at 11:54 AM
The Prius “Blue Rhino” adapter.
Hening on July 13, 2009 at 11:55 AM
I can’t see this as anything but a great result.
Um, Turks and Russians aren’t each other’s biggest fans, not by a long shot. Competition, anyone? Balance of power? Playing one off against the other to keep them both in line?
Anything is better than letting Putin play a mineral robber baron up in the passes, extorting cash from the civilized folks forced to live in his shadow.
Good for the President (and I can count the number of times I’ve said that with the digits of one hand) seeing this through.
DRPrice on July 13, 2009 at 11:57 AM
None of which really matters.
Read Mark Steyn’s excellent America Alone. Russia is in a suicidal death spiral, which will witness the native Russian population declining by 50% by 2100.
Who’s going to fill the void?
The same people who are currently doing so all over continental Europe, where not one of the native populations is meeting the minimal replacement levels for population stability.
IOW: Muslim immigrants.
So, what will we eventually face from Russia? Getting energy from another Muslim country.
(yawn)
rvastar on July 13, 2009 at 11:58 AM
This could be very good too, Iraq has petroleum $ already and if they can add natural gas directly to Europe, and if they remain Western friendly it will help immensely (big ifs, obviously).
Don’t we have a good military relationship with Turkey, also? (Incirlik)
cs89 on July 13, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Watch out for a gas attack from Putin.
faraway on July 13, 2009 at 11:59 AM
JiangxiDad on July 13, 2009 at 11:59 AM
huge gas deposits. Heavy russian influence, also pipleline being built going EAST to china.
JiangxiDad on July 13, 2009 at 12:00 PM
A slight dissent–this isn’t your father’s Kemalist Turkey. While the Republic’s structure and many of its institutions remain harshly secular (they aren’t nice to the resident Christians, either), it’s eroding a bit given the demographic free fall among secularized Turks and the rise of more or less Islamic parties like the AKP. The Turkish officer corps is still resolutely secular and nationalist, as is the judiciary and legal system, but the next generation of Kemalists is going to be smaller. The question is how devoted the AKP is to the Republican system, and on that point its leaders have been Janus-faced.
DRPrice on July 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM
So Obama is going to take credit for plutonium now?
MarkTheGreat on July 13, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I totally agree that this is not the Turkey of old. That being said, it is ridiculous to group Turkey with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq or any other predominantly Muslim country (you did not say that Romeo13 implicitly did). That being said, while the number of Kemalists will continue to dwindle, I do not forsee the military or the courts losing their ability to keep a mild Islamist party such as the AKP from overturning the secular culture of the country.
Shock the Monkey on July 13, 2009 at 12:12 PM
I need to proofread more often so I do not repeat, “that being said” 100 times. Sorry.
Shock the Monkey on July 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM
As a member of NATO Turkey is a permanent ally, but they wouldn’t allow the use of their territory for the Iraq invasion.
aengus on July 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Actualy, having been to Turkey a couple of times… I know a bit about how it works.
The population is primarily Islamic, and growing more militant as time passes. Question becomes how long can, can a Republic remain a Republic against the will of the electorate…
They do consider themselves a Democracy… you know, that whole will of the people thing… and if the will of the Islamists becomes great enough, then the Institutions which guard against Sharia law, may very well fail.
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I suspect that what happens in Iran over the next couple of years will impact what happens in Turkey over the next 100.
MarkTheGreat on July 13, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Just when it looks too good to be true, also from the article…
Like Putin was just going to sit back and let this happen without doing anything? Not quite. I wouldn’t be surprised to see pipelines being blown-up while under construction.
Also, this idea was from 2002, but I’m sure we’ll hear it couldn’t have happened without Obama….blah, blah, blah.
moonsbreath on July 13, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Agreed… I’m not a NeoCon… but Iraq move to democracy does seem to be having the Domino effect the Neo hoped would happen…
What will be interesting to see is what happens to Kuwait and Saudi if Iran’s Democracy movement really takes hold.
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 12:23 PM
This plan had to be in place before Obama learned of it or it would never have been finalized. I still think he will screw this up some way if its at all possible.
volsense on July 13, 2009 at 12:28 PM
What lies conveniently on Turkey’s eastern border? Why, it is Iraq! I wonder where O got the idea to ship natural gas from Turkey? Could he have had that idea without the liberation of Iraq?
Kafir on July 13, 2009 at 12:34 PM
There is no question that an Islamist presence exists in Turkey. The Islamist presence is undoubtedly popular as demonstrated by the success of the Justice and Development party in the 2007 elections. However, please do not confuse the desire to wear a hijab in a university with the desire to create an Islamic emirate the likes of which Ibn Tamiyyah and Sayyid Qutb couldn’t have dreamt of. Additionally, the military has, is, and will be the most powerful institution in Turkey. Any attempts made by Islamist political forces in Turkey will be met with rebuke by the supreme court and the military. Case and point, recently the JDP decided that members of the military are subject to trial in civilian court. Expect the supreme court to overrule the JDP’s legislation. If not, expect the military to raise hell.
Shock the Monkey on July 13, 2009 at 12:34 PM
The problem with your meme it that the Army is made up of people. Having an army in direct opposition to the Democratic will of the electorate creates a very interesting dynamic… one that may work for a generation of two (IMO), but is inherently unstable longterm.
Eventualy, as the Army IS made up of the electorate, it will slowly morph to the same types of beliefs as that same electorate (especialy in a country that espouses Democracy, ie will of the people).
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Why is it more environmentally friendly to purchase energy from sources located thousands of miles away from our shores and then ship it here, than it is to develop our own domestic sources which we don’t have to put in oil tankers and that we don’t have to build thousand mile pipelines to tap?
NoDonkey on July 13, 2009 at 12:56 PM
The same folks smirk at Sarah Palin’s attempts to build a gas pipeline from Alaska. According to her critics, natural gas is so yesterday.
Christian Conservative on July 13, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Just hit me on a reread…
They say they will pump in 2014 through this pipe…
But the Alaksa/Canada pipe will not pump till 2018?
Dang…
Romeo13 on July 13, 2009 at 1:17 PM
:)
Europe knows something our Science Czar and the “0″ still need to learn.
chemman on July 13, 2009 at 1:25 PM
You mean you believe that logic should be part of the decision process. That’s so old school. /sarc
You make a valid point but only the choir is listening.
chemman on July 13, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Obama can’t take credit yet. They still have 3 hurdles that I can see: money, construction issues, time to completion.
journeyintothewhirlwind on July 13, 2009 at 3:03 PM
While it’s true that the Turkish Army is composed of the electorate, that does not necessarily mean that the institution and culture of the military shares the views of the electorate. In spite of the fact the JDP is the most popular party in Turkey, the Turkish military still remains incredibly hawkish. One of the last generals to head the Turkish military, General Hilmi Ozkok, was roundly criticized by his soldiers for not being tough enough violent Islamists. Regardless, the military (in any country) is not a democracy, and is not generally reflective of the views of society as a whole. However you do raise an important question regarding the future of Turkey, and whether the country will actually be dominated by civilian or military leadership. I guess the disagreement with us lies in that I do not see the military losing out to a mildly but popular pro-western Islamist (for now)party in the long run, and you do. However I still do not understand why you grouped Turkey with the other Islamist countries in the Middle East when it’s clearly not.
Shock the Monkey on July 13, 2009 at 3:22 PM
And why is the USA helping to back this? Screw Europe. Pull out and let them fend for their own damn selves.
PersonalLiberty on July 13, 2009 at 5:47 PM