INTERVIEW / RÖPORTAJ We made an interview with the Managing Director of Tekten Holding, Mr. Nihat Gökyiğit about the international energy conference "Tale of Three Seas: lntegration with the World of Energy" and the pipeline projects on the agenda. First of ali "why 3 seas?" Lets start from the Caspian Sea: this basin has emerged recently as an impor tant source of oil and gas besides being famous a century ago as the first oil pro duction site of the world. The second sea, the Black Sea region especially with Turkey, at its center, is a next-door fası growing market for this source. This zone together with South Caucasian is also a corridor for transporting Caspian oil and gas to world markets. Countries of the 3rd sea, the East Mediteranean, espe cially Egypt and lsrael and eventually Syria are also planning to become tied to this corridor, Egypt for gas export to turkey and beyond that to Europe, lsrael for an alternate source of oil and gas. lraq already has an oil outlet through Turkey and is prepared to be tied to the Turkish gas grid as soon as sanctions are released. Turkey is no paradise for planners with gas demand expected to grow from 20, to 54 and 82bcm during the next 2 decades. Turkey is no paradise for planners with gas demand expected to grow from 20, to 54 and 82bcm during the next 2 decades. ■ Russians have been well ahead in the gas race for the Turkish market both, through the Balkans with capacity to increase from 6 to 14bcm soon and under the black sea, to be operational in 10 months to grow to 16 bcm. The next important source of gas for Turkey besides lran will be the Caspian Sea, through the corridor of South Caucasus. This supply should preferably be a mix of Azeri, Turkmen, Kazak and possibly Ciıgeııeratwıı, 'W'aste recınJPl!Jlı.'l{ eııqu)l6f.u, & @JP-sik f.jpferaf}jpııJ: Russian gas, to activate friendly coopera tion in the region. And all these can be achieved, if we draw lessons from the harmony created by the "Black Sea Orchestra" whose members include rep resentatives from each of the states of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean regions. To take further load off the Black Sea, a direct overland pipeline to the open Mediterranean Sea has to be built sooner or later for safety and environmental, consequently economical reasons. ■ Almost all of the Caspian plus part of Russian oil is heading for the Black Sea, one of the most actively polluted seas of the world, to be rehandled at a second Black Sea terminal or to be transported through the Turkish straits. Turkey is try ing to make this passage as safe as pos sible by investing over $ 20 million on VTS (vessel tracking system) and setting forth new safety regulations in coopera tion with IMO. These measures will make the existing passage safer but shall not necessarily resul! in increased volumes of hazardous cargo, as sharp turns, adverse currents, rough weather condi tions and growing congestion of local sea traffic of this narrow waterway can not be changed for betler. Moreover, who can pay for the economic consequences of a damaged industrial and trading zone embodying 40% of the Turkish economy or a closure of the straits to all black sea countries? To lake further load off the Black Sea, a direct overland pipeline to the open Mediterranean Sea has to be built sooner or later for safety and environmental, consequently economical reasons. Finally the most recent positive develop ment on Turkish market should not be under estimated, that is the legal reforms passed by the Turkish Parliament for the deregulation of the energy sector. Nihat Gökyiğit Chairman of TEKFEN Holding ''A tel ls: Tale of Three Seas and The Pipeline Projects" ECOGENERATION WORLD 137
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