Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said that there is no problem in Türkiye’s energy supply.
Bayraktar, who joined Anadolu Agency’s Editorial Desk, said that the war could be devastating if it lasted for a long time.
The Minister said that the cost of a barrel of oil of 1 dollar to Türkiye is 400 million dollars.
Minister Bayraktar’s statements are as follows;
“If the war continues for a long time, the world faces serious situations. There does not seem to be a problem in energy supply security for our country. There is no demand problem in the world right now, but there is a serious problem in supply and transportation.
Approximately 15 percent of Türkiye’s total imports were purchased from this region, but due to purchases from the Iraq pipeline, our supply from this region is manageable at 10 percent. The effects of the crisis can be devastating if it lasts for a long time.
With the Eşel mobile system, the state has now reduced the SCT on diesel to zero. A new energy architecture may come to the fore after the crisis. What could be the opportunities for us? The Iraq-Türkiye pipeline is important. The Iraq-Türkiye pipeline extends from Ceyhan to Kırıkkale refinery, its capacity is 1.5 million barrels. The issue of arbitration regarding the use of the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline is on the agenda.
Iraq’s export of 3-3.5 million barrels stopped due to the closure of Hormuz. We have been making our proposal to diversify the route by repairing the line and extending it from Kirkuk to Basra for years. The Turkmen gas pipeline across the Caspian is an issue that we have been bringing to the agenda for years, and it should also be seriously on the table. It may be possible for Syrian oil to flow to Ceyhan via ITP.
We have had a serious support program for citizens for the last 5-6 years. The price of natural gas and fuel is determined by the international market, a 1 dollar increase per barrel costs us 400 million dollars. There is a budget of 355 billion TL for the support of 55 percent for electricity and 45 percent for gas. If the current situation in electricity and gas continues, the cost will increase to 955 billion TL. In this case, we need to find resources of 620 billion TL.
In this case, we may need to make an evaluation in April regarding electricity and gas.
Our goal is to exclude from support those who consume 75 percent more than the average consumption. There will no longer be natural gas support for high income groups. “We can start this practice in April.”
