KILIS:

Azerbaijan will export 1.2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually through Turkey to Syria from the BP-operated Shah Deniz gas field in the Azeri Caspian Sea, a senior official at Azeri state energy company SOCAR told Reuters on Saturday.

Turkey supported rebel forces in neighbouring Syria throughout the 13-year civil war that ended with the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December and has become one of the new Syrian government's main foreign allies.

Ankara is now positioning itself to be a major player in Syria's reconstruction.

SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov was speaking at a ceremony in the southern Turkish city of Kilis, close to the Syrian border, as Turkey and Azerbaijan launched natural gas exports to Syria.

Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said the project followed agreements in April and July between Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Syria's new President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Gas will be transported through Turkish territory to Syria under a coordinated arrangement, Jabbarov said.

"By launching gas exports to Syria, Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is capable of exporting gas not only to the West, but also to the East and the South," he said at the event.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said deliveries were expected to reach around 6 million cubic metres (mcm) per day. While the current delivery plan foresees exports of 1.2 bcm annually, Bayraktar said there was potential to supply up to 2 bcm per year in the first phase.

The gas will be used to restart power plants in Syria with a combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts, Bayraktar said.

Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said the gas supplies would support basic energy needs in areas affected by conflict. He said the gas would allow for an additional four hours of electricity per day in those areas by increasing generation by around 750 MW.

Al-Bashir also said that while the agreement foresees daily deliveries of 6 mcm, the initial volume would be around 3.4 mcm per day.