State-owned Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) has started gas production from its huge Sakarya project in the Black Sea, with Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan — who is trailing in the polls ahead of next month’s election — using the occasion to announce the supply of free gas to households.

Sakarya — which was originally due on stream in the last quarter — could tap up to 25 trillion cubic feet of gas for subsea wells tied back to an onshore plant at Filyos.