Qatar-Syria-Turkey gas pipeline project revives after Assad’s fall

 Research centers in Europe have begun to re-propose the Qatari-Turkish gas pipeline project through Syrian territory, which the ousted regime president Bashar al-Assad had rejected, on the pretext that it would affect Russia's position as a major gas supplier to Europe, according to what he stated in one of his interviews with the media, and he claimed that this was one of the reasons for Turkish and Qatari support for the Syrian revolution.

The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that after the fall of the Assad regime, the importance of regional gas pipeline projects has increased, and among these projects, the Qatari-Turkish gas pipeline stands out, which was previously viewed as a route for transporting Qatari gas to Europe via Syria and Turkey, and the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline, known as the "Islamic gas pipeline", which aimed to connect Iran to the Mediterranean markets and enhance its regional influence.

The newspaper added that it had reviewed an analytical study conducted by Filippo Sardella, head of the Institute for International Relations Analysis in Rome, entitled "The Qatar-Turkey Gas Pipeline and the War in Syria", in which he stated that one of the most prominent gas projects in the region today is the Qatar-Turkey pipeline project (about 1,500 kilometers long) that aims to link Qatar's huge North Field gas field to European markets via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey, noting that Bashar al-Assad's regime had previously opposed the project, and preferred an alternative pipeline sponsored by Iran that passes through Iraq and Syria.

The Italian geopolitical analyst continued, saying that the Qatar-Turkey pipeline proposal was an attempt by Doha to diversify export routes and supply cheap gas directly to European markets, where it can compete with Russian and Iranian gas.

He pointed out that the stability of the situation in Syria will allow for renegotiation of regional energy routes, by reaching agreements between the relevant actors, expecting that Syria will become a transit point for gas pipelines.

He pointed out that the European energy market will benefit from greater diversification of supply sources, thus reducing dependence on Russia.

For his part, according to the newspaper "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed", the head of the Carlo De Cristoforis Center for Strategic Studies, the Italian writer and researcher Giuseppe Galliano, stated in an analysis published by the Italian website "Inside Over" under the title "Syria, Behind the War, the Dream of the Islamic Gas Pipeline Hides" that energy was one of the most important reasons, from a strategic point of view, for Russia and Iran's support for the Bashar al-Assad regime during the Syrian war.

Galiano believed that the energy issue would return, with the fall of the Assad regime, to be the focus of attention. In fact, achieving stability in Syria would allow the construction of gas pipelines that cross the country and connect to the Turkish network, which would guarantee Europe new sources of supply.

He pointed out that this possibility is of interest not only to Qatar, but also to Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, which want to diversify their energy exports and reduce dependence on the risky sea routes in the Gulf.

Galeano added that Turkey plays a major role in this framework, especially since it has a dual interest, through direct access to energy resources in the Middle East and collecting lucrative transit fees resulting from the passage of gas pipelines through its territory. This is a project that, in addition to strengthening Turkey's economic position, will enhance its role as an energy hub between the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

The Italian researcher pointed out that the estimated cost of the pipeline between Qatar and Turkey is about $10 billion, while the cost of the pipeline between Iran, Iraq and Syria may amount to between $6 and $8 billion, explaining that the production capacity of the two proposed gas pipelines ranges between 30 and 40 billion cubic meters of gas annually, enough to cover a large part of Europe's needs, which amounted to about 400 billion cubic meters in 2022.

Galeano believed that the passage of a gas pipeline through Syria would have enormous effects: creating an alternative to Russian gas from the Middle East, which would weaken the Russian monopoly and provide Europe with greater flexibility.