Turkey Russia ties: Nuclear plant to go on despite row

12/6/2015 9:20:01 AM

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Turkey’s President Recep TayyipErdogan has said the rift between Turkey and Russia over the downing of a Russian fighter jet for violating Turkish airspace would not harm the construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

"There is no indication that mega projects orlarge scaleenergyinfrastructureprojects willbe halted or paused" Erdogan said.

Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom will build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at a cost of $20billion in the southern province of Mersin on the Mediterranean coast.

Following the downing of the jet on Nov. 24 Russia has announced sanctions against Turkey with Russian President Vladimir Putin levelling accusations against the Turkish president and threatening that Ankara would regret shooting down the jet.

'Turkey paused the Turkish Stream Project not Russia'

Erdogan added that the Turkish Stream pipeline project which was planned to carry Russian natural gas to Europe through Turkey was not halted by the Russian side but the project was paused by Turkish authorities on account of failing to meet Ankara’s demands.

On Dec. 3Alexey Miller CEO ofRussian energy company Gazpromannounced that Turkey had not turned to Russia with a proposal about the project as it was waiting for an intergovernmental agreement between Ankara and Moscow which resulted in the suspension of the talks.

Additionally Erdogan underlined that Turkey may be in need of natural gas and oil butMoscow was not its only option. "Besides Russia Turkey has natural gas agreements withIran Azerbaijan Nigeria Qatar and Algeria" he said adding that in addition to natural gas Turkey hasoil deals with Iran and Saudi Arabia.

He also said that despite Turkey's dependency on natural gas to generate powerthe country is currently able to deploy alternative natural resources in order to generateelectricity through wind solar thermal and hydro energy.

Turkey's annual natural gas consumption is around 50 billion cubic meters and 55 percent of the natural gas is imported from Russia followed by Iran with18.1 percent.

Following the downing of a Russian fighter jet after it had violated Turkish air space despite multiple warnings from the Turkish military the relations of the two countries soured rapidly kicking off Russianeconomicmeasures against Turkey.

Ankara responded strongly and said it cannot be held responsible for defending its borders and airspace. Turkey alsoannounced that thegovernment is working onsome possible economicretaliation against Moscow.

Turkey maintains that the jet was warned over and over as it approached Turkish airspace but it ignored all warnings. Ankara also states it was not aware of the aircraft's nationality.

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