Turkey is planning to finalise an agreement with Syria’s new government on maritime cooperation and offshore exploration and production (E&P), the country’s energy minister said this week.
Speaking to GDH, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the deal would allow Turkish oil and gas companies to begin exploring for energy resources off Syria’s coast, with hopes to conclude an agreement sometime next year. The arrangement is expected to build on an existing framework agreement, with results likely emerging further down the line, he added.
Turkey’s state energy firm, TPAO, currently operates two seismic ships and six drillships, including four active vessels – Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han – alongside two recently acquired vessels, West Dorado and West Draco, which are slated for restoration. While the company’s recent operations have focused on productive Black Sea wells, Turkey also maintains a strong interest in waters off Northern Cyprus, where disputes with the Nicosia government continue. Drilling in Syrian waters would expand these regional opportunities and strengthen Turkey’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. Any future revenues could also provide the Syrian government with additional resources to support economic stabilisation and post-war reconstruction efforts.
The Eastern Mediterranean is widely recognised as one of the world’s most promising regions for offshore natural gas. Recent activity underlines the sector’s potential: this week, Chevron, Shell and NewMed Energy announced plans to begin ordering production equipment for the Aphrodite field in Cypriot waters, which could yield up to 800 million cubic feet of gas per day. A final investment decision on the project is expected in 2027. The development brings Cyprus closer to joining Egypt and Israel in exploiting major regional gas reserves, signalling a new phase in the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy landscape.
