ANKARA - Turkey and Azerbaijan will soon launch the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Project (TANAP) to transport Caspian natural gas to Turkey before it reaches Europe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Speaking on a joint press conference with his Azeri counterpart llham Aliyev in Ankara, Erdogan stressed the importance of TANAP for bilateral economic cooperation, adding that Azerbaijan is set to become a leading foreign investor in Turkey.

For his part, Aliyev said the opening of TANAP in near future will further increase economic opportunities and bring in sustainability to the region.

The 1,850-kilometer-long gas pipeline will start to operate at the end of June, Hurriyet Daily News quoted the General Manager Saltuk Duzyol as saying.

The two leaders also discussed the cooperation on defense industry, as well as the possible resolution of the Upper Karabakh issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia.