Turkey hosts major energy conference

The 20th International Energy and Environment Fair and Conference, whose mainmedia sponsor is Anadolu Agency, kicked off at the Istanbul Expo Center onThursday.During an opening speech Turkey's energy minister Taner Yildiz said the results ofMarch 30 local elections had a positive effect on the privatization projects of powerplants.He said: "Following the elections, the private sector decided to continue to makeproposals for purchasing the plants as they saw the continuation of stable politicalatmosphere in Turkey." Kemerkoy and Yenikoy thermal power plants located in Turkey's south-westernprovince of Mugla were privatized for US$2.6 billion last week.Stating that Turkey did not change its energy policy due to Ukraine crisis, Yildizemphasized that the government's last ten years of energy policy predictions,including raising the share of renewables and building nuclear plants, were well-timed.Yildiz said the government paid utmost attention to the protection of theenvironment while developing energy investments. “Energy saving is the mostimportant resource of Turkey and energy efficiency should be made sense fromevery part of the society," he added.Turkish investors are welcome to have shares, up to 20 percent, in planned Turkishnuclear power plants, the minister said.- Energy, environment and regulation Erol Kaya, head of the Environment Committee in the Turkish parliament alsodelivered a speech saying: “Yes, development and energy are very important issuesbut so the environment.”He added, “You cannot save environment just with law and legislation; theenvironment should have a place in people’s minds, conscious and conduct.”Touching on a possibility of a drought this summer in Turkey as a result of the lackof rain during winter and spring, Kaya said that Turkey could, most probably, see adrought as water levels are alarmingly low in dams. Energy commissioner of the Turkish National Assembly Halil Mazicioglu said in thepast three years, while the world was undergoing a heavy economic crisis, Turkey'senergy production had increased in accordance with the growth in its economy."Our government devotes high importance to energy supply security," saidMazicioglu, added that local and renewable sources, as well as nuclear energy, arethe most important sources for Turkish energy policy. Mustafa Yilmaz, the head of Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA),said: "In the next months Turkey’s energy authority will play more active role in thesector."Yilmaz said that they would discuss the problems in the sector and hold meetingswith companies which EMRA regulated.This current ICCI conference will host 270 international speakers in 33 sessions withmore than 10.000 visitors, and will run until Saturday.