NEWS SCAN for Turkey – June 13th, 2013

Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites.

Turkish economy grows 3 percent in first quarter, beyond expectations

It is reported that Turkey’s economy continued to grow for the 14th consecutive quarter. A statement by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said it had expanded by 3 percent in the January-March period of 2013.

The growth in economy is calculated to have surpassed and expectation of 2.3 percent in said period.

It is also noted that the 3 percent year-on-year growth rate in the first quarter shows that the Turkish economy has switched to a growth track after gaining its balance last year. Regarding the issue, the Minister of Finance Mehmet Simsek has commented that Turkey’s annual growth would reach 4 percent as per the government’s medium term program.

Following growth of 9.2 and 8.5 percent in 2010 and 2011 respectively, Turkey’s annual GDP growth was recorded as 2.2 percent in 2012.

Minister YILDIZ says 3,500 MW thermal power plant on the way

It was announced by the Taner YILDIZ, the energy minister yesterday that Turkey was planning to establish a 3,500-megawatt (MW) thermal power plant with a USD 5 billion investment in the western province of Afyon. It is reported that the region possesses 950 million tons of lignite.

The minister informed that the exploration by the Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate (MTA) in the Dinar district of Afyon had been completed and lignite reserves of approx. 950 million tons had been discovered in the area.

The investment is expected to provide additional employment for 6,000 or 7,000 in the plant’s construction and the mining sector.

Turkey targets to  weaken its dependence on USD 12 billion worth of natural gas imports with power plants fired by domestic coal. Currently, the country produces around half of its electricity from natural gas and is thus heavily dependent on Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan, in this regard.

Turkey receives applications for photovoltaic power plant investments

It has been criticized for a long while why Turkey does not attribute sufficient importance to making use of natural sources such as solar and wind energy. In fact, the government’s preference to have nuclear energy plants built in the country rather than harnessing the country’s considerable solar energy potential has been much debated so far.

It is now reported that some local and foreign investors have started filing applications to Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) to build photovoltaic power plants of up to 600 megawatt (MW) capacity.  The regulative authority has received solar energy projects that amount to 1,000 MWs of capacity on the first day alone, filling the daily quota. It is reported that EMRA is going to accept license applications to produce electricity from solar energy until June 14.

It is forecasted that the applications are to reach a total figure of 6,000-7,000 MWs by the deadline which in turn may necessitate a tender process to grant investors a license to build and operate photovoltaic power plants in certain locations.

BDP Chairman says time to move on to the next phase in peace process

Selahattin Demirtaş has said the first phase of the peace process which is withdrawal of the members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is now complete and it is time to move on to the next phase.

BDP Chairman reminded that Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK, had also declared that the withdrawal was done to a great extent. Demirtaş added now that the initial phase was done, the second phase of introducing regulations for democratization was necessary, and it was now the government’s to proceed by taking action as agreed.

On the other hand Demirtaş also noted that they were supporting the Gezi protests in the name of freedom.

President Gül says a total of 100 articles must be amended to clear the way

President Gül is reported to have said that the Gezi Park protests should be solved in a “democratic way” within the law and without resorting to violence.

Gül stated that this kind of problem should be solved by discussing different thoughts, dialogue and within the law. “There may be disagreements; in such situations the courts should be resorted to. In the end, these disagreements must be solved without resorting to violence,” Gül added.

On the other hand President Abdullah Gül was reprted to haave dismissed the necessity for a leaders’ summit over the ongoing Gezi park protests on June 12.

Economy minister says “foreign circles” uncomfortable with progress Turkey has made

Zafer Caglayan, economy minister said in a meeting in the western port city of Mersin on Wednesday that foreign circles were uncomfortable with the progress the country had made in the past decade and added that same parties were to blame anti-government protests in major Turkish cities in the past two weeks. Çağlayan said protests against development plans on a green area in central Istanbul had started on very peaceful intentions but turned into anti-government protests adding it was an attempt to create a foreign hegemony on Turkey.  Çağlayan went on to say “We are no fools. We have taken the wind out of their sails,”

Caglayan reminded similar incidents had happened in Turkey before, adding, “Some tried to derail our political and economic stability. For sure, interest rate lobbies and their jobbers are troubled. Our prime minister has declared that the interest rate lobbies have seized $1.5 trillion from Turkey in past thirty years”.

The minister went on to say that Turkey’s economy had achieved a growth rate of 3% in the first quarter and added “we became the third fastest growing economy in Europe. Besides, we became the second biggest after China in G-20. All of these achievements upset some groups.”

13.06.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA

We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.