OHRID - Turkish President Abdullah Gul delivered a speech on Saturday at the 15th Summit of Presidents of Central European States in Macedonia.
Addressing a meeting on economic integration, competition and energy, Gul said Turkey was seriously concerned over oil and natural gas transportation through the Turkish straits.
"A tanker accident which might take place in the Turkish Straits would cause several unfavorable developments. An explosion due to a crash in the straits will risk several lives and harm environment. The risks could be only removed by making the transportation through pipelines," Gul said.
The Turkish president said main pillars of Turkey`s energy policy were to reduce dependence on foreign resources, to diversify energy resources and routes, and to contribute to European energy security.
"Our strategy for energy security overlaps with Europe`s policy to diversify supply routes, which opens a new area for Turkey in regional cooperation," he said.
Gul said Turkey was a natural corridor for oil and gas suppliers to reach European and world markets.
Gul said security of energy supply had a close connection with foreign policy, national security, economic development and global stability and completion of Nabucco project and Turkey-Greece-Italy corridor would strengthen the tie among the countries.
Turkey had a sound political will and determination in completion of Nabucco project and he believed that other project partners would do what was required on this matter, he stated.
Turkey-Greece-Italy Natural Gas Pipeline Project was one of the projects which would contribute to energy security in Europe, Gul said.
Turkey was also interested in exploration and transportation of Iraqi natural gas which could be linked to natural gas network in Turkey, he said.
(YMB-EÖ)