TurkStream | The U.S. Opposition and the Reasons behind It

This analysis focuses on the position of different U.S. actors regarding the Turkish-Russian energy relations and, specifically, on TurkStream which is one of the most important projects undertaken by the two states.

The TurkStream pipeline is one of the most important projects Turkey has undertaken in the energy sector in recent years and, at the same time, it is considered a fundamental step in terms of Turkish-Russian relations. However, the United States (U.S.) has criticized the project and in December 2019, Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which included sanctions against companies involved in building the Russian-sponsored natural gas pipelines to Europe, namely Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream.

This analysis focuses on the position of different U.S. actors regarding the Turkish-Russian energy relations and, specifically, on TurkStream which is one of the most important projects undertaken by the two states. After providing a brief summary of the energy cooperation between Turkey and Russia, the analysis provides a range of statements on TurkStream by Obama and Trump administration officials, and suggests the reasons behind the U.S. opposition to TurkStream are both economic and geopolitical. On the one hand, there is the European energy market that the U.S. is eager to dominate, and on the other, there is the power clash between the United States and Russia.

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