Greek MEP Yiannis Maniatis said the Vertical Energy Corridor originating in Greece is disrupting Russian and Turkish energy planning for Central and Eastern Europe.
Speaking to Greek radio station Real FM, Maniatis said the development of the corridor has bothered Ankara in multiple ways by establishing an alternative supply route for the European market that competes directly with the TurkStream pipeline.
Maniatis represents the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, known as PASOK, in the European Parliament, where he serves as vice-president of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group. He is also a former Greek minister of environment and energy.
Real FM is a commercial news radio station based in Athens that regularly broadcasts interviews with Greek and European political leaders.
According to Maniatis, Ankara and Moscow had devised an energy plan built around transporting Russian natural gas through Turkey and onward through Bulgaria into Central and Eastern European countries. Under that arrangement, TurkStream was positioned as one of the primary alternative routes to maintain Russian gas deliveries into European markets.
TurkStream is an export natural gas pipeline running beneath the Black Sea from Russia to European Turkey. Russia and Turkey constructed the pipeline to deliver gas directly into Southeastern Europe, supporting Turkey's strategic aim of becoming a dominant energy transit hub connecting East and West.
Alternative Supply Axis
Maniatis explained that the Vertical Energy Corridor alters those expectations by positioning Greece as the primary entry gateway for natural gas moving toward northern Europe. The project makes use of Greece's liquefied natural gas infrastructure together with existing and new pipeline interconnectors linking the country to neighboring Balkan states.
Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas cooled to liquid form for ocean transport on specialized tankers. Greece has expanded its LNG receiving terminals, including facilities at Revithoussa near Athens and off the northern port of Alexandroupolis, enabling non-Russian gas to enter Eastern European networks.
Maniatis stated that the corridor starting in Greece has overturned the planning previously shaped by Moscow and Ankara. He emphasized that the route is not merely a competitive alternative to TurkStream, but also benefits from explicit political support from the European Union.
Maniatis said this political backing is particularly significant because it aligns with the broader European strategy to diversify energy sources and supply routes while reducing dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
The European Union has prioritized energy diversification across its member states to strengthen energy security and phase out reliance on Russian energy imports.
Geopolitical Impact in Southeastern Europe
In practice, Maniatis said the Vertical Energy Corridor strengthens Greece's role as an energy gateway for Southeastern and Central Europe. Through Greek infrastructure, natural gas volumes can move directly into Bulgaria and flow further north, offering countries in the region alternative access to energy suppliers.
Bulgaria borders Greece to the north and serves as a vital transit corridor connecting Aegean shipping terminals to landlocked markets further north in Central Europe.
Maniatis noted that this alternative supply prospect creates major difficulties for Turkish ambitions. Ankara has systematically invested in recent years to establish Turkey as an indispensable energy hub between East and West. However, the development of a competing energy axis originating in Greece restricts Turkey's ability to secure an exclusive or dominant role in natural gas transit to Europe.
For Maniatis, the significance of the Vertical Energy Corridor extends well beyond energy transit logistics. He described the corridor as a project with a clear geopolitical dimension that elevates Greece's position on the regional energy map while establishing a European supply architecture distinct from the arrangements targeted by Turkey and Russia in previous years.
