Turkey and Turkmenistan have signed a long-awaited agreement that will facilitate the flow of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey. The deal, under which gas should be piped from March 1, was announced by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar on February 11.

Turkey and Turkmenistan have signed an agreement to facilitate the flow of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey, marking a significant step in energy cooperation between the two nations, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Tuesday.

Turkey consumes more than 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year. It relies on pipeline gas supplies from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as LNG imports from various suppliers.

BOTAS, Turkey’s state-owned pipeline operator, and Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz will begin the gas flow from Turkmenistan to Turkey on March 1.