TURKEY AND U.S. HAVE COMMON INTERESTS IN CASPIAN ENERGY POLICY
Mann, who came to Turkey for an official visit, talked to the press about his meetings in Ankara.
Mann said that he had constructive and productive meetings with Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler and other Turkish officials, adding that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline was the main issue on the agenda in those meetings.
Mann said that the progress recorded about the pipeline issue was pleasing, adding that he had the strong belief that the Turkish side would complete on time constructing the part of the pipeline which passed from its territories.
U.S. official said that the criticisms that came from non-governmental organizations regarding the social and environmental effects of BTC pipeline decreased, adding that experts showed very much sensitivity about the social and environmental effects of the project.
Defending the view that the concerns about the size of the Azerbaijani oil reserves and if BTC pipeline was economic, were baseless, Steven Mann said that ''the problem for BTC is not insufficiency of oil, but its having too much oil.''
The U.S. official said that Turkey was in central position in Caspian energy policy of his country and the two countries had very common interests.
The U.S. also attributed importance to transportation of natural reserves of the Caspian Sea to world markets, adding that they supported transportation of Shahdeniz natural gas of Azerbaijan to Turkey.
Upon a question about the natural gas agreements of Turkey with Russia and Iran, Mann said that Turkey's natural gas market was over-saturated for the moment, but it would come to a balance after a certain period of time. He defended the view that Shahdeniz natural gas was more advantageous for Turkey when compared with other alternatives as it was the cheapest.
Regarding the reaction of Russia, Mann said that there was nothing wrong in Turkey's extending support to its neighbours like Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Recalling that the natural gas demand of Europe would increase by 45 percent in the next ten years, Mann said that Turkey, which was an economic exit point in transportation of Caspian energy sources to world markets would become a regional energy terminal in the future.
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