Turkey and Russia celebrate gas link

Telegraph ^ | 18/11/2005 | Amberin Zaman

[Tailgunner Joe]

The blossoming relations between Turkey and Russia went on display yesterday, as resentment grows among Turkish nationalists at the mounting influence of America and the European Union on their country.

President Vladimir Putin joined the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Black Sea Port of Samsun to inaugurate the world's deepest undersea pipeline, which carries Russian gas to northern Turkey.

Washington opposes the pipeline, known as Blue Stream, seeing it as a sign of excessive Russian influence in Nato-member Turkey.

The Turkish prime minister described the launch of the pipeline as an "historic moment" in Turkey's relations with Russia and Italy, which helped construct it. "I hope this pipeline will not only carry gas, but peace, love and friendship," he said.

Mr Putin used the occasion to remind Turkey of the help extended by the Bolsheviks to Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, during his war of liberation against the Allies who occupied the country after the First World War.

Russia currently supplies 60 per cent of the country's gas and 20 per cent of its oil. Moscow is Turkey's second largest trading partner after the EU.

Although Turkey opened membership negotiations with the EU last month, many Turks believe the bloc will never allow a Muslim country to join and is using the negotiating process to weaken and dismember their country.

Hawks in the powerful Turkish military, who resent EU demands that their influence be curbed, have been especially keen to deepen ties with Moscow.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Blue Stream to strengthen European energy security - Putin 16:49 | 17/ 11/ 2005

SAMSUN (Turkey) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the Blue Stream natural gas pipeline would strengthen Europe's energy security.

"I believe that the pipeline's launch is another step toward the formation of s European common energy space," Putin said. "This is a step toward strengthening energy security of our continent and diversifying energy supplies to the main consumers."

Silvio Berlusconi Speaks up for Russia’s EU Membership - The Italian Prime Minister made his statement at an official opening of the “Blue Stream” gas pipeline in the northern Turkish city of Samsun. “Russian President Vladimir Putin knows that and if it’s only a dream today, it will turn intro reality in the near future”, Berlusconi said.