Exporting Egyptian gas to Turkey

A three-year agreement for exporting gas to Turkey was signed yesterday in Ankara starting from the year 2002. A source in the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum said today that Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Hamdi El-Banbi signed this agreement with his Turkish counterpart.

The source added that the way to export this gas to Turkey was discussed and he stated that there are four alternatives: exporting the liquid from Port Said; a land line that links El Arish to Alexandretta, passing through Jordan, Syria and Lebanon upon which Syria may object as it claims right of sovereignty over this region of Turkey; establishing a direct marine line to avoid problems with Syria; or through a land line linking El-Arish with Lebanon then to be transported by land from there across the Syrian - Turkish borders.

He added that US, Italian and Turkish companies will share in the development of this gas export.