ANKARA - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said on Tuesday that Turkey stopped purchasing electricity from Bulgaria which didn't give the tenders of highway and dam construction to Turkish contractors although it was mentioned in the contract.
Responding to questions of CHP deputy Atilla Basoglu in the parliament, Guler said that they doubled the oil searching activities compared to previous years and the drilling activities also increased.
Noting that search for oil and natural gas continued in the Black Sea, Guler said that Turkish Petroleum Incorporation (TPAO) didn't only act in Turkey, but also in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Libya, Egypt and Kazakhstan. Guler stated that cooperation was made with BP in search for oil in the sea.
Upon questions about electricity production, Guler said that 35 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity was produced in 132 hydroelectric power stations as of December 2003.
Guler stated that highway and dam construction tenders were not given to Turkish contractors by Bulgaria although it was mentioned in the electricity agreement made with Bulgaria, adding that as the conditions of the agreement were not met, Turkey stopped purchasing electricity from Bulgaria. ''Now the ball is in the yard of Bulgaria,'' said Guler.
Guler said that Turkey bought electricity from Turkmenistan although Turkey didn't need it, adding that ''our purchasing electricity from this country is meaningful, we had natural gas purchasing agreement with Turkmenistan, but we could not buy it. Instead we buy electricity produced from natural gas and in an indirect way we buy natural gas from Turkmenistan.''
Guler stressed that they gave up producing electricity from natural gas in the last one year and rather they focused on hydroelectricity and produced 5.5 billion kilowatt/hour of electricity, so they didn't increase the price of electricity for 14 months.
Guler noted that TPAO also tried to get the responsibility of carrying out the Shahdeniz project in Azerbaijan.
(Öª-AY) 10.02.2004