ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Ankara needs to get to work on energy issues in 2011 by taking advantage of its geopolitical significance, an energy analyst said.
Turkey gets less than 5 percent of its oil and gas needs from domestic sources. Its energy bill for 2011, meanwhile, is expected to pass budget expectations because of economic growth and subsequent rising demand.
Faruk Demir, a Turkish energy analyst, told the state-run Anatolian news agency that Ankara needs to examine resources in the Black Sea and its energy partnerships with Azerbaijan and Iraq to breathe new life into the energy sector.
Turkey is working to secure its position as a regional energy hub, playing host to several key oil and gas arteries. The Nabucco natural gas pipeline and Russian energy giant Gazprom's rival South Stream project both will pass through Turkish territory.
Demir said he believed 2011 would be the make-or-break year for Nabucco with Iraq gas set to become the major player in the gas pipeline for Europe.
"If 2011 is to be a successful gas year for Turkey, it needs to get to work by signing agreements on the transfer of Iraqi gas to home and to Europe," the analyst said.
