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Turkey, Russia pursue gas pipe dream as EU fretsDeclarations by Russia and Turkey last week reviving plans for the TurkStream natural gas pipeline linking the two have worried EU diplomats who see it strengthening Moscow's hand - but analysts say the project is more rhetoric than reality.EU officials fear that TurkStream will be expanded to bypass Ukraine as a transit route for supplies to Europe, increasing dependence on Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and shutting in alternative supplies from the Caspian region. "Turkey's new friendship with Russia might become an issue if Russia tries to replace Turkey for Ukraine," a senior EU official said. "It makes sense for Turkey to get cheap gas from Russia, but it will come with strings attached: That is likely to be a problem for us."However, the entente, almost a year after Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane, remains fragile, analysts say, particularly amid turmoil caused by the failed coup in Turkey. "In times of instability, if you are sane, you don't commit to huge infrastructure projects," said Simone Tagliapietra, an energy fellow with Brussels-based think tank Bruegel.Moscow and Ankara are more keen on "signaling political messages than about advancing projects in reality," he said. Russia's drive to reroute gas to Europe around Ukraine, including by expanding the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany, has met with heated opposition in Brussels since Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014, prompting EU sanctions. Turkey's own role in facing off with Russia and as an energy corridor has tempered EU criticism of President Tayyip Erdogan authoritarian turn.See More At: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-turkey-turkstream-idUSKCN10C2NT
