Doha and Ankara’s Approach and the Challenges of the Qatar-Syria-Turkey Gas Pipeline Project

Meanwhile, the continuation of historical challenges and delays in similar pipelines shows that security and geopolitical risks also pose an ambiguous prospect for the Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Jordan-Syria-Turkey gas pipeline project, with repeated postponements.

The Qatar-Syria-Turkey Gas Pipeline Project, which aims to transport Qatari gas to Europe via the South Pars/Northern Dome gas field, starts in Qatar and goes through Saudi Arabia to Syria and then to Turkey.

The pipeline project (approximately 1,500 km long and costing $10-12 billion to build) was first considered in 2009 as an alternative to Qatar’s dominant liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. However, tensions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar were largely forgotten due to geopolitical differences and regional instability, insecurity, and opposition from Syria.

Since late 2024, speculation has increased about the revival of the Qatar-Syria-Turkey gas pipeline project route. The regime change in Syria has created new opportunities for Turkish-Qatari cooperation in energy construction. Also on January 13, Damascus forces invaded northeastern Syria and seized cities, oil, and gas fields.

While Syria’s energy sector is improving, foreign energy companies are also planning to increase their presence in Syria. For example, two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed in early January 2026 between Cairo and Damascus to supply gas to Syria from Egypt via Jordan, and on February 4, the Syrian National Oil Company signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar.

Meanwhile, the Syrian interim government seems to see the Qatar-Turkey pipeline as a means to finance post-war reconstruction and economic cooperation with its neighbors.

Qatar-Turkey approach

Part of the main drivers remain Qatar’s diversification of exports and Turkey’s ambition to play the role of a........

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