Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ANKARA766
2009-06-01 04:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria Sign Electricity Cooperation
how-toVZCZCXRO6987 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHFL RUEHIHL RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAK #0766 1520434 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 010434Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9777 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RHEBAAA/DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 5806 RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 3885
UNCLAS ANKARA 000766
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRGIZ TU IR
SUBJECT: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria Sign Electricity Cooperation
Protocol
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly.
UNCLAS ANKARA 000766
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRGIZ TU IR
SUBJECT: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria Sign Electricity Cooperation
Protocol
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly.
1. (U) Summary. During his May 27-28 visit to Bagdad, Turkish
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz participated in the first Regional
Power and Energy Conference, and signed an electricity cooperation
protocol with his counterparts from Iraq, Iran and Syria. The
agreement provides for the interconnection of the power grids of
these four countries, followed by an enlargement of the connection
to include to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Turkey
will reportedly lead this effort. End summary.
2. (U) Turkey's newly appointed Energy Minister Taner Yildiz visited
Iraq on May 27-28. In a press conference prior to his departure,
Yildiz said he would participate in a regional energy and
electricity ministers' meeting in Baghdad and would have bilateral
meetings with the ministers of the participant countries. Yildiz
said the talks with Iraq would focus on electricity trading,
bringing the operation of the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline up to full
capacity and cooperation in oil and gas. The representatives of
Calik Energy and Kartet Energy (electricity exporter to Iraq) also
joined the trip.
3. (SBU) Commenting on Yildiz' visit, Kartet Energy Commercial
Director Nuray Atacik said electricity cooperation would be the
major issue on the parties' agenda in this visit. Atacik noted
that, after years of delay, Turkey's State Transmission Company
(TEIAS) had finally budgeted capacity increase in the transmission
grid between Turkey and Iraq. Atacik said the construction work
would not be finalized before 2011.
4. (U) Turkish press announced on May 29 that the electricity and
energy ministers of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria signed an
Electricity Cooperation Agreement at the end of the Regional Power
and Energy Conference. According to the agreement, these countries
will build a connection to each other's power networks, and, in the
future stages of the project, will extend the connection to the
grids of the eight Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The
GCC countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, SAUDI ARABIA and
UAE. According to the press, Turkey is the president of some type
of coordinating council that will lead this effort.
5. (SBU) At this early stage, it's unclear how serious this
initiative will be. It does show that Turkey continues to seek
opportunities to take a leadership role in its relations with
neighboring countries, including Iran.
Silliman
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRGIZ TU IR
SUBJECT: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria Sign Electricity Cooperation
Protocol
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly.
1. (U) Summary. During his May 27-28 visit to Bagdad, Turkish
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz participated in the first Regional
Power and Energy Conference, and signed an electricity cooperation
protocol with his counterparts from Iraq, Iran and Syria. The
agreement provides for the interconnection of the power grids of
these four countries, followed by an enlargement of the connection
to include to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Turkey
will reportedly lead this effort. End summary.
2. (U) Turkey's newly appointed Energy Minister Taner Yildiz visited
Iraq on May 27-28. In a press conference prior to his departure,
Yildiz said he would participate in a regional energy and
electricity ministers' meeting in Baghdad and would have bilateral
meetings with the ministers of the participant countries. Yildiz
said the talks with Iraq would focus on electricity trading,
bringing the operation of the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline up to full
capacity and cooperation in oil and gas. The representatives of
Calik Energy and Kartet Energy (electricity exporter to Iraq) also
joined the trip.
3. (SBU) Commenting on Yildiz' visit, Kartet Energy Commercial
Director Nuray Atacik said electricity cooperation would be the
major issue on the parties' agenda in this visit. Atacik noted
that, after years of delay, Turkey's State Transmission Company
(TEIAS) had finally budgeted capacity increase in the transmission
grid between Turkey and Iraq. Atacik said the construction work
would not be finalized before 2011.
4. (U) Turkish press announced on May 29 that the electricity and
energy ministers of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria signed an
Electricity Cooperation Agreement at the end of the Regional Power
and Energy Conference. According to the agreement, these countries
will build a connection to each other's power networks, and, in the
future stages of the project, will extend the connection to the
grids of the eight Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The
GCC countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, SAUDI ARABIA and
UAE. According to the press, Turkey is the president of some type
of coordinating council that will lead this effort.
5. (SBU) At this early stage, it's unclear how serious this
initiative will be. It does show that Turkey continues to seek
opportunities to take a leadership role in its relations with
neighboring countries, including Iran.
Silliman