Diagnosis of Challenges Affecting the Liberalisation of the Turkish Natural Gas Market

Abstract

Natural gas is a strategic sector for Turkey and its control, which has been mandated by the state for so long, is shifting. Due to the sector’s direct and indirect impacts on economic/social development and growth, the issue of how to restructure the Turkish gas market by reducing, if not fully removing, the dominance of the state monopolist, BOTASṃ, and how to handle the concerns regarding the structural changes being imposed on BOTASṃ such as splitting down its activities into different legal entities remains one of the main interests of the Turkish regulators and the policymakers. Clearly, the participation of private and foreign suppliers in the Turkish gas supply chain poses commercial risks and challenges for BOTASṃ, and a new roadmap for creating stimulated import prices with marked reductions; developing infrastructure for imports, transmission, storage and distribution; and setting appropriate tariffs for the use of different components of gas infrastructure holds crucial importance in the time of the reforms and market developments in Turkey designed to encourage all market players.