New natural gas pipeline to Syria meant to fuel stability

A pipeline linking Kilis, Turkey, to Aleppo, Syria, will officially open on Saturday—conveying Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told the state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. The pipeline, which was finished in May, could boost northern Syria’s daily electricity availability to about 10 hours per day, up from 3-4 hours per day, he said. Turkey already exports electricity to Syria and is also working to reactivate a damaged line to Aleppo, Bayraktar said.

Qatar fully funded the pipeline project, according to U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack. He thanked Qatar on Friday and said the gas would power 5 million homes. The project was a step toward relief and stability at a critical moment, he said.

Dig deeper: Read Lael Weinberger’s report on conflict in Syria stemming from attacks on the Druze minority.