Energy Minister Says Turkey Is An Energy Corridor Between East And West

LONDON - Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said on Friday that Turkey was an energy corridor between the East and the West.
Speaking at a conference on ''Caspian Basin resources'' held by the Cambridge University's Eurasia House, Guler said that Turkey's role would increase after new energy projects became operational.
Guler noted that energy consumption in the world increased in parallel with the rise in investments in energy.
Strategic cooperation and joint investments were the only way to overcome the energy shortage in the world, Guler stated. He showed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as an example of such cooperation.
Guler said that the East-West energy corridor was of vital importance for enriching the Central Asian and Caspian countries, and assuring stability there.
''In this context, Turkey has a unique geopolitical and geostrategic location. And, it is the most important route for transportation of energy resources of these countries to the global markets'', Guler stressed.

-THREATS AGAINST TURKISH STRAITS-
Guler said that transportation of oil through Turkish Straits would cause serious problems, and threaten the environment and the population.
Therefore, he noted, transportation of Azerbaijani oil through Turkish Straits was not acceptable.
Guler is expected to return to Turkey on Saturday.
(BRC) 17.09.2004