World Bulletin: Turkey, Russia's Gazprom survey new pipeline route

"The only option that is still on the table is the plan for a pipeline from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria," Dr. Igor Okunev, vice-dean at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told The Anadolu Agency in a written statement.

"But this is the option where Turkey has to decide how and with whom it wants to cooperate," he added.

Turkey and Russia are also negotiating for a reduction on the price of imported gas from Russia to Turkey.

Last December, Putin offered a 6 percent discount for Russia's exported gas, while Turkey insists on a higher discount rate.

"If I was Turkey, I would negotiate an even greater discount to take full advantage of Putin's weaker negotiating position," said Dr. Sijbren de Jong, a strategic analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, referring to the Ukraine crisis and Gazprom's unpopularity among European policymakers.

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