Invest News DetailHurriyet Daily News - Türkiye’s recent moves concerning the European Union-backed Nabucco and the Russian-backed South Stream pipelines are steps in the right direction, according to Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency (IEA). “Functioning as a bridge in energy is at least as important as being an EU member for Türkiye. With its role in energy transportation, Türkiye may become one of the leading five countries”, he said. Birol stressed that recent developments in energy are significant enough to affect the next five decades for Türkiye. “Russia and Saudi Arabia come to mind first in natural gas and oil production, while the United States and China are ahead in consumption”, Birol noted. “Türkiye may be among the top five countries with its energy transporter identity.”