Erdoğan : "TRNC will even be able to export electricity"

[iancrumpy]

Source : http://www.haberkktc.com/haber/erdogank ... 55977.html

Yesterday (December 29th), in a televised speech, Turkey’s prime minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, announced that the (Anamur-to-Geçitköy) water pipeline, planned for completion in March 2014, will also carry with it electricity cables ... and these cables will supply enough electricity “for all KKTC’s needs” and “would even enable KKTC to export the energy”.

One presumes from this that the electricity from the mainland would be somewhat cheaper than what we currently have here. One also presumes the “export” option is there to be used as a bargaining chip with our southside neighbours should the need arise.

Amongst TCs the reaction to this announcement has been rather mixed: Below the report, Cenk writes this will make KKTC not only dependent on Ankara, but "addicted" to them. Mustafa writes that he would rather live under candlelight than have the mainland electricity. Although I like to be pragmatic, I feel Cenk and Mustafa do have a point - with the water and electricity coming in from the mainland my guess is there will be more pressure from Ankara for TRNC to accept the more conservative practices ... from the mainland.

[dodger]

Hi Ian.

I wait with baited breath (not) for the people that run the South (the church) to pass comment on this.Thanks for the post.

Paul.

[bigOz]

I guess what Mr Erdoğan really wanted to say is: “Turkey would even enable KKTC to export the energy on her behalf” - Was he intending on giving the electricity free to us? I do not think so somehow!

The other point is - NOTHİNG imported from Turkey has ever been any cheaper than locally produced in TRNC! So that may well be wishful thinking. What is being tried is to privatise the Electricity Board in TRNC and sell it to some Turkish Company. The workers are against it so the government has been trying to get it bust by not paying their bills. Thank got the workers are too clever for that and are now taking action against all government and government supported establishments (especially non-paying hotels who have majority shares held by Turkish mainland investors).

Money allocated to pay for energy expenses are claimed to have been used for other purposes rather than pay bills - just like the Social Security incomes are diverted to other areas. There is a conspiracy to force establishments to be sold to Turkish mainland businesses and to replace the Turkish Cypriot population with those from mainland. As much good as they may have done to Turkish economy in its international standing, AKP does have secret agendas that are worrying at times. Maybe someone should ask why all the Turkish businesses in Uzbekistan has been shut down by Uzbeks, many of their owner/directors put in prison, with others running away from the country! Erdoğan would get my full support the day he stopped his "colonial" tactics and fanatic religious crusade he and his party are following - with the recent last straws that may cause his dawnfall: Demeaning Ataturk's position and the Turkish flag in favour of religious propaganda...

[CatalkoyChris]

This is all part of the push for greater influence with the eu (read about John Lewis and the Karpaz marina etc etc).
The pipeline is an investment and will need paying for, maybe by higher water/elec bills, but combining water and electricity infrastructure is an efficient way of doing things.
But Turkey is good at paying off its debts, in a year or so's time they will be lending money to the IMF.

Hopefully this pipeline will not turn out to be a white elephant (trunk).

[CatalkoyChris]

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey ... &nid=31406

[andre514]

ian message 1:

"one presumes that...to be used as a bargaining chip"

my friend, the only presumption I am afraid is yours:
the singular role of a bargaining chip is to be used in er...
bargaining, or please call it negociation if you prefer

but an all-cyprus survey just completed found that
the vast majority of greek cypriots would vote "no" to
any negociated settlement in cyprus

so does this brand the gc's as hopeless extremists?
far from it, it is simply that they'd argue all property
they occupied ie owned prior to '74 should be returned
to them

however unrealistic this aspiration may seem, it does not
permit a space for any meaningful negociations to take
place, which is why all efforts to sponsor a compromise
could never have succeeded:
however many "bargaining chips" are thrown into the mix

but doesn't this mean that "we" are landed with a divided
island for all eternity?
not necessarily, stranger things have indeed happened,
although pigs have not yet developed the ability to fly

[iancrumpy]

Let's put it this way - this energy-for-export, that Erdogan spoke of, is unlikely to be exported off the island. Although, as Paul stated in post 2, the GCs might feel as agrieved as Cenk and Mustafa (post 1) to use this "dirty" energy, in the future they might indeed might have to accept it ... as indeed they might even have to accept the north's even "dirtier" water. I'm sure though Ankara/TRNC would attach certain conditions to this ... not a negotiated settlement of the island ... but maybe concessions (say, a less vociferous stance at the UN) on direct flights out of Ercan.

[bigOz]

For the price of lying underground cables all the way from power generators in Turkey to Cyprus, a dozen wind powered generators and that many solar energy centers would have met all the electricity requirements of TRNC! Instead we are planting huge Turkish and TRNC flags on the mountains and hills (just in case anyone misses the huge lighted one on the mountains) where there is constant strong winds! Money spent on many (empty) mosques would have paid for quite a few solar energy centres - we all know the amount of seasonal sunlight that falls on most parts of Cyprus...

With all respects to everyone who is contributing to this forum, I do not trust an iota of the intentions of Erdoğan whenever there is talk of "Turkey doing a favour for TRNC". You can bet your last Dollar or Euro that it is just another move to make TRNC more dependent on Turkey so that the government at the other end can have even more say on the economy, thus the muppets of MPs that we have at this end. The same muppets who are now driving Turkish Cypriots out of their own country at the same speed as the Greeks were doing prior to 1974 war.

These projects mean nothing unless Turkey comes clean on what her real agenda or intentions are on TRNC. Instead they should do more for the international recognition of TRNC with their so called "Muslim brothers", help TCs put pressure on European Human Rights Courts regarding direct flights to TRNC, and buy the produce of local farmers and manufacturers instead of filling up the market with expensive (in Cyprus) mainland produce and driving them out of business all the time!

[iancrumpy]

...another move to make TRNC more dependent on Turkey

I totally agree Big Oz.

... so that the government (in Ankara) can have even more say on the economy

Having a say in the economy doesn't worry me so much Big Oz, but allowing Erdogan and co to have a bigger say in the way TCs lead their lives really worries me. Subsidised theological high schools are now here, it's very very likely that higher alcohol taxes are on the way ... and maybe in a few years' time single-sex high schools ?

[bigOz]

...another move to make TRNC more dependent on Turkey

I totally agree Big Oz.

... so that the government (in Ankara) can have even more say on the economy

Having a say in the economy doesn't worry me so much Big Oz, but allowing Erdogan and co to have a bigger say in the way TCs lead their lives really worries me. Subsidised theological high schools are now here, it's very very likely that higher alcohol taxes are on the way ... and maybe in a few years' time single-sex high schools ?

They are not subsidised Ian, they are fully paid for by the Turkish government. They rather our children learn about religion than Maths and Physics. My son is studying Computer technology at a Meslek Lisesi in lefkoşa (a kind of "careers lycee"). Over the past two years they have stopped teaching science subjects including physics and this year there is talk that they will give up Maths(?). Meanwhile religious studies continues to ba a core subject and a proposal for a theological branch of the lycee has been on the table. One of the reasons many teachers went on strike last year. They clearly want us to breed Al Kaida symphatisers!

Sooner the Turkish and TRNC nation wakes up to secret agenda Erdoğan has the better it will be for our children's future - or we are doomed! During his speeches the man prefers to address "Muslim brothers" rather than "fellow Turkish countrymen".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bCH7sHK ... r_embedded

Above is an old video of Erdoğan when he was young, together with the religious tyrant Erbakan at a meeting of this Cyprus bred religious freak!