Russia has suspended talks over Turkish Stream gas pipeline project after relationship between the two countries went downhill, following the shooting down of the Russian air force jet by the Turkish military last week.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters Thursday that all negotiations over the Turkish Stream pipeline have been suspended.

In December 2014, Gazprom and Turkey struck a deal for the construction of Turkish Stream which is to replace the South Stream project to deliver Russian gas to Southern Europe.

Earlier this year, the projected opening for the TurkStream in late 2016 has been postponed to a later date due to the political crisis in Turkey.

The offshore section of Turkish Stream was planned to consist of four strings, each with a throughput capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters. The gas pipeline will stretch for 660 kilometers within the existing corridor of South Stream and for 250 kilometers within a new corridor towards the European part of Turkey.

Subsea World News Staff