Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday launched Türkiye’s first delivery from a Black Sea gas reserve a few weeks ahead of a general election, as Ankara aims towards energy independence. In 2020, the country discovered gas reserves off the coast of Zonguldak in the Black Sea region, which Erdogan hailed at the time as the country’s largest ever natural gas field and a way to wean Türkiye off its dependence on energy imports. In June, Türkiye started the construction of an underwater pipeline connected to the seabed from the port of Filyos — around 400 kilometres east of Istanbul on the Black Sea coast. Experts say 10 million cubic metres of gas per day would meet around six percent of Türkiye’s annual consumption which stands at 60 billion cubic metres, delivering a boost for the economy. “This is a historic milestone on Türkiye’s path to energy independence,” Erdogan told a ceremony in Zonguldak broadcast live on Turkish television. “When we reach full capacity, we will meet 30 percent of our country’s gas needs” from the Black Sea reserves, he said according to Anadolu Agency. Last year, Türkiye received 40 percent of its gas from Russia. It also imports gas from Azerbaijan and Iran, and Ankara has been seeking ways to diversify supplies, especially after Russia launched its war on Ukraine last year. Inflation in the country is running at 50.5 percent, and the currency is in freefall, making the cost of living hard to bear for most Turks.