Erdogan promises free gas for all as commissioning of Black Sea natural gas begins

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday in a ceremony held for the commissioning of natural gas found in the Black Sea that the natural gas used in residences across Turkey will be free of charge for a period of one month, and that consumption of 25 cubic meters of natural gas per month in residences will not be charged for a whole year.

After conveying his greetings for Eid al-Fitr, Erdogan said:

"Our second festival is on the occasion of the commissioning of Black Sea natural gas, which marks a historical step towards our country's energy independence."

Noting that the natural gas reserve is now estimated to be 710 billion cubic meters, Erdogan said:

"The average period of time required for commissioning natural gas after its exploration is six to seven years globally, but on our pace we made it in less than three years."

He added:

"In the first phase we'll get 10 million cubic meters per day, and God willing, we'll subsequently make it 40 million cubic meters by tapping into new wells."

Promising free natural gas for every citizen, he said:

"The price of 25 cubic meters of natural gas, which is the average amount consumed monthly in residences for heating water, will be deduced from bills for a full year. We also will not charge natural gas consumption at homes for a period of one month."

The total natural gas consumption in Turkey had been projected for the year 2022 as 60 billion cubic meters.