BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET)- There have been so many harsh conflicts in the 11 years that have passed since the signing of the first agreement on Caspian oil. So much bargaining was done and such bad tricks were played that, as a journalist who observed this process closely, I had also lost my hope and started to ask myself: ‘Is this just a dream or a legend which can never come true?’
However the dream finally came true. Caspian oil will reach Western markets through Turkey.
When Iraqi oil is also added to this at full capacity, our port of Ceyhan will become one of the most important wholesale centers in the world.
Caspian oil will be arriving at Ceyhan at the end of this year. Are we ready to handle this new situation? Do we have the necessary vision? Now it’s time to discuss the answers to this question.
When I look back at the last 11 years, I can see better how little Turkey is prepared for this and how inexperienced it is on the oil issue.
Turkish governments made the Baku-Ceyhan issue a matter of internal policy, and this has hurt our leverage in bargaining. This enabled big companies and states to bargain by manipulating public opinion.
The mid-90’s Baku-Supsa pipeline project can be cited as an example: They tried to depict the situation like this: ‘If there is no Baku-Supsa Pipeline, Caspian oil will go to Russia.’ They had convinced Tansu Ciller’s government to undertake the financing of this pipeline, but at the last minute they gave up.
Vision is also important for the future of Ceyhan. It must be turned into a wholesale center. Iraqi oil will also come here. In addition, Arab and Russian oil may also be drawn to this region.
As Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, ‘The dream became a reality.’ This is a real 21st century legend which shows that the BTC oil can also be shared over negotiation tables instead of battlefields.