Talks: Hilmi Guler
Poland plans Turkish delight
Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler announced today that Poland was interested in energy co-operation and was considering buying from energy pipelines that will cut through Turkey.
Guler said that Poland is considering meeting some of its energy needs through the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project, which will pump Central Asian gas via Turkey to Austria, and Turkey's Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. Guler's comments were published in a Reuters report of his meeting with Marek Jurek , the speaker of the Polish parliament, the Seym.
The Nabucco, supported by the European Union, is designed to increase Europe's access to alternative sources of natural gas and oil.
Last winter a row between Russia and Ukraine slashed gas supplies to Europe, leaving the continent briefly in the cold.
"Technicians will begin work on the Nabucco and Samsun-Ceyhan pipelines to appraise what they can do. Then it will pass the preparation phase," said Guler.
Faith in Nabucco waned as Russia has pushed to export more of its gas westward, but the project has seen renewed support in recent months.
Ankara also plans to construct a pipeline through Turkey to transport oil from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
Russia is not supportive of this oil pipeline project that will deliver Caspian oil to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
Turkey's Calik Enerji and Italian Eni are working together on the north-south pipeline.
Guler said Poland might work with Turkey regarding other projects involving nuclear energy, petrol and natural gas.
"We will announce concrete steps towards construction of this (Nabucco) line when we return to Poland," Jurek said.