Turkey's 2011 direct energy investments exceeds 3.5 bln USD

Turkey's direct investments in the energy sector exceeded 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2011, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said Thursday. At a press conference in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Yildiz said that 60 percent of Turkey's energy production in 2011 was fulfilled by the private sector. The minister emphasized the importance of renewable energy resources, saying that next year's investments would be focused on developing wind and hydraulic energy. Turkey's total electricity consumption would reach 220 billion kilowatt-hours by the end of 2011, and its daily natural gas consumption in this year was about 155 to 165 million cubic meters, Yildiz was quoted by Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency as saying. Turkey has asked Iran, one of its major natural gas exporters, for a reduction in the price of gas, but has not yet received any positive response, Yildiz said.