Turkey has yet to issue a permit for Russia’s Gazprom ( GAZP.MM ) to start building the land-based part of the TurkStream gas pipeline, three sources familiar with the matter said, stoking fears the strategically important project will be delayed. If completed, the 7 billion euro ($8.6 billion) pipeline would allow Russia to reduce its reliance on Ukraine as a transit route for its gas supplies to Europe. Ankara has authorized Gazprom, which has a de facto monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, to start building two undersea sections of the project. However, it has still not given Gazprom the green light for the land-based segment to ship Russian gas onward to southern Europe, the sources told Reuters. “There is no permission from Turkey, which hampers talks about building the second line to Europe,” one of the sources familiar with the talks said. Relations between […]