As the keynote speaker at the 2010 Turkey Energy Summit in Ankara, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said the electricity consumption curve, which had sloped downward due to the global economic crisis, has started to rise again as a result of a recent reinvigoration in economic activity.
“We can call this situation a two-year interruption that was corrected by an upswing of the energy consumption curve, but neither the private nor the public sector should be overcome by languor due to this situation. At this point we are expecting the demand and supply curves to intersect at an equilibrium point in 2013 or 2014, we should continue our efforts without falling prey to languor,” he noted.
The minister said Turkey has to take deliberate steps in energy diplomacy with respect to its strategically important geographic location, stating that energy-related developments in the region are so significant that they cannot be separated from international politics.
Calling for Turkey to provide a competitive structure for global actors in the energy market while placing a special emphasis on energy policies, the minister said the government must adopt policies that will allow the public sphere to share resources with the private sector at “reasonable profit margins.” He added that this is a prerequisite to ensure supply security.
Yıldız argued that the Turkish energy sector was among those least affected by the global economic crisis, owing in large part to its massive assets and sufficient financial resources. He said this was especially reflected in the rate of participation in energy-related privatization tenders.
Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) President Hasan Köktaş and Sabancı Holding CEO Ahmet Dördüncü were other main speakers at the conference.
