| License Photo Turkey says its move to acquire a stake in the natural gas field off the coast of Azerbaijan is part of a regional diversification strategy. State-owned Turkish Petroleum Corp. agreed to buy the 10 percent share in Shah Deniz owned by French energy company Total for $1.45 billion. The deal is part of an effort by Turkey to lessen its dependence on Russia, the English-language newspaper Today’s Zaman reported Sunday . Russian energy company Gazprom counts Turkey as its second-largest energy importer. Turkey serves as a major regional energy hub, hosting portions of the second-longest oil pipeline in the world, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan. Shah Deniz is controlled by a consortium that includes BP and the State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic. Michael Borrell, a senior vice president for Total’s exploration and production business in Europe, said in a statement the sale to TPAO was in line with […]