Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the TANAP project will create long-term and strong relations with European countries, Trend news agency reported.

Erdogan made the remarks while speaking at the signing ceremony of a number of contracts on the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) and Shah Deniz-2 projects in Turkey's Istanbul city on Friday.

"We are witnessing an important step in the implementation of the TANAP project; we assess this project not only in terms of development of trade and investment cooperation," he said.

"The project to construct the gas pipeline will result in strong relationship with European countries as similar to that between Turkey and Azerbaijan," the prime minister said.

The TANAP project envisages transporting gas from the Shah Deniz field through Turkey up to the country's border with Europe.

Erdogan said around six billion cubic metres of gas to be produced under the Shah Deniz-2 projects will be sold to Turkey.

"Some 10 billion cubic metres of gas will be transported to Europe through Turkey via TANAP. Natural gas produced from other fields of the Caspian Sea will also be transported via this pipeline in the next stage," he said.

TANAP's initial capacity is expected to be 16 billion cubic metres of gas per year and can be further expanded to 31 billion cubic metres per year.

TANAP shareholders plan to lay the pipeline's foundation in the second quarter of 2014 and commission it in 2018. The cost of the project is estimated at US$10 billion to US$11 billion.

On Dec 17, 2013, a final investment decision was made on the stage two development of the Shah Deniz offshore gas and condensate field. Gas produced at this field will first go to Europe.

The gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and construction of TANAP and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

Bakudaily.az