“The opening ceremony of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) project, which aims to transport Azerbaijani gas to Turkey and then to Europe, will be held on June 19,” head of SOCAR Investments Department Vagif Aliyev has told Turkish journalists. He said that the first gas delivery from TANAP to Turkey was slated for the first week of July, but due to the early elections held in Turkey TANAP's opening ceremony will be held on June 19.

The aim of the TANAP project is to bring natural gas produced from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz-2 gas field, and other areas of the Caspian Sea, primarily to Turkey, but also on to Europe. The TANAP project, along with the Southern Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) form the elements of the Southern Gas Corridor. The 1,850 kilometer TANAP will run from the Turkish border with Georgia, beginning in the Turkish village of Türkgözü in the Posof district of Ardahan, will run through 20 provinces until it ends at the Greek border in the Ipsala district of Edirne. From this point, the TAP Pipeline will connect to convey natural gas to European nations.

Since the beginning of 2020, TANAP will take gas from the Southern Caucasus Pipeline to Greece, Albania and to Europe via Italy, by joining the TAP pipeline. TANAP shareholders are Southern Gas Corridor Closed Joint-Stock Company (51%), SOCAR Turkey Enerji A.S (7%), Botas (30%) and BP (12%).