The dilemma: Split atoms or split alliance?
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by FULYA ÖZERKAN
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Haziran 20, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - While the tender process to build the country’s first nuclear power plant is surrounded by lingering ambiguity, Turkey’s energy minister has so far left unanswered Russia’s requests for nuclear talks, Hürriyet Daily News has learned from well-placed sources.
Moscow is pressing for a face-to-face meeting with Minister Taner Yıldız to discuss the long-running nuclear power license that was awarded to Russia’s Atomstroiexport with Turkish partner Park Teknik and Russia’s Inter Rao following a controversial bidding process.Â
Ankara’s reluctance could be tied to pressure from the international community, primarily from the United States, it has been learned. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to Turkey in second half of July for comprehensive talks. "Nuclear is the primary issue high on the agenda. We are awaiting an answer from the Turkish side," a source told the Daily News.
The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, or TAEK, found the Turkish-Russian consortium eligible to construct a power station on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast that would have a capacity of about 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts. But the astronomic price offered sparked debate, and it took nearly three months for the government to approve the Atomstroiexport bid.
A special bidding commission established to look into the tender process is expected to draft a report and submit it to the Energy Ministry next week. The document will be brought onto the Cabinet’s agenda following the ministry’s revision.
Russia for Blue Stream-2
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is expected to travel to Moscow early next month, after delaying the trip set for last week due to scheduling problems. The nuclear tender is expected to figure high in both the Erdoğan-Putin and Davutoğlu-Sergei Lavrov meetings. The talks are also expected to focus on the Blue Stream-2 natural gas pipeline project proposed to meet Turkey’s growing need for natural gas. In May when Erdoğan met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the leaders agreed to strengthen energy cooperation and begin negotiations over the Blue Stream-2 project.
Russia looks favorably to the Blue Stream-2.The Blue Stream pipeline currently runs from Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea; the proposed new pipeline, known as Blue Stream-2, is expected to expand its output capacity by 10 billion cubic meters annually.
Ankara’s reluctance could be tied to pressure from the international community, primarily from the United States, it has been learned. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to Turkey in second half of July for comprehensive talks. "Nuclear is the primary issue high on the agenda. We are awaiting an answer from the Turkish side," a source told the Daily News.
The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, or TAEK, found the Turkish-Russian consortium eligible to construct a power station on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast that would have a capacity of about 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts. But the astronomic price offered sparked debate, and it took nearly three months for the government to approve the Atomstroiexport bid.
A special bidding commission established to look into the tender process is expected to draft a report and submit it to the Energy Ministry next week. The document will be brought onto the Cabinet’s agenda following the ministry’s revision.
Russia for Blue Stream-2
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is expected to travel to Moscow early next month, after delaying the trip set for last week due to scheduling problems. The nuclear tender is expected to figure high in both the Erdoğan-Putin and Davutoğlu-Sergei Lavrov meetings. The talks are also expected to focus on the Blue Stream-2 natural gas pipeline project proposed to meet Turkey’s growing need for natural gas. In May when Erdoğan met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the leaders agreed to strengthen energy cooperation and begin negotiations over the Blue Stream-2 project.
Russia looks favorably to the Blue Stream-2.The Blue Stream pipeline currently runs from Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea; the proposed new pipeline, known as Blue Stream-2, is expected to expand its output capacity by 10 billion cubic meters annually.