Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Thursday hailed growing openness from Turkmenistan's leadership at the start of a two-day trip to the gas-rich Central Asian state.
Gul welcomed "the active development of Turkmenistan's foreign policy" after talks with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov that had been expected to focus on a proposed gas pipeline.
The leaders declined to give details of their discussions.
Turkmenistan has welcomed prospective foreign investors in its energy industry in the past year since Berdymukhamedov succeeded eccentric dictator Saparmurat Niyazov.
Top European Union and United States energy officials have visited the country in recent weeks, hoping to secure more access to the country's gas reserves, which rank among the largest in the world.
Ankara, which has close ethnic and political ties with the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia, aspires to become a regional energy hub between Western consumers and energy producers in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Ahead of Thursday's meeting, Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said the sides were due to "discuss the question of building a pipeline to Turkey via Iran to transport 16 billion cubic meters of gas" per year.
In July, Turkey signed a preliminary deal with neighbouring Iran to carry natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to Europe, bypassing Russia.
The United States, meanwhile, has been trying to convince Ashgabat to build a rival pipeline under the Caspian Sea in order to avoid both Russia and Iran.
The Turkish president was due to visit the north of Turkmenistan on Friday where he was to launch a power station built by Turkish companies.
Gul welcomed "the active development of Turkmenistan's foreign policy" after talks with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov that had been expected to focus on a proposed gas pipeline.
The leaders declined to give details of their discussions.
Turkmenistan has welcomed prospective foreign investors in its energy industry in the past year since Berdymukhamedov succeeded eccentric dictator Saparmurat Niyazov.
Top European Union and United States energy officials have visited the country in recent weeks, hoping to secure more access to the country's gas reserves, which rank among the largest in the world.
Ankara, which has close ethnic and political ties with the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia, aspires to become a regional energy hub between Western consumers and energy producers in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Ahead of Thursday's meeting, Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said the sides were due to "discuss the question of building a pipeline to Turkey via Iran to transport 16 billion cubic meters of gas" per year.
In July, Turkey signed a preliminary deal with neighbouring Iran to carry natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to Europe, bypassing Russia.
The United States, meanwhile, has been trying to convince Ashgabat to build a rival pipeline under the Caspian Sea in order to avoid both Russia and Iran.
The Turkish president was due to visit the north of Turkmenistan on Friday where he was to launch a power station built by Turkish companies.
Via: Turkish Press
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