The second Ankara Forum on Energy and Energy Security round-table meeting titled “Competing Energy Policies of Major Powers and World Energy Future” held on April 27th, 2007 at TOBB-University of Economics and Technology. The Executive Director of London Information Network on Conflict and State-Building (LINKS), Dennis SAMMUT made the opening remarks at the meeting. During her presentation, Brenda Shaffer, the research director of Caspian Studies Project at Harvard University, questioned Russia’s use of oil and gas as a weapon and she interrogated Russia’s policies to be a reliable supplier. After Ms. Shaffer’s remarks, Counselor from Russian Embassy in Turkey, Mr. Dimitri Zykov brought on the table Russia’s energy policies in the Black Sea and Caspian region. Mr. Zykov underlined the interdependence of countries on energy issues. Following the Counselor’s explanations, Necdet Pamir, the General Coordinator of Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies (ASAM), first evaluated global energy sources and their energy strategies then examined the role of Turkey. On the last session, participants and speakers made their points on future of world’s energy and policies of major powers.

The first meeting of Ankara Forum on Energy and Energy Security was held on March 23rd, 2007.

The first meeting of the Energy Working Group, established by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), TOBB University of Economics and Technology, and London Information Network on Conflict and State Building (LINKS) took place on March 23, 2007 in TOBB University of Economics and Technology. The theme of the meeting was “European Energy Security and Turkey”.
The working group brought together people from the world of academia, bureaucracy, business and press. Opening remarks of Mr. Dannis Sammut, director of LINKS and Prof. Mustafa Aydin, Director of International Politics Research Institute (IPRI) were followed by presentations of three speakers. Energy expert Mr. Mehmet Ogutcu approached the energy security issue from an international oil company perspective, while Mr. Mehmet Ulu, Director of strategy department of National Oil and Natural Gas Company of Turkey (TPAO) provided a national oil company view. Mr. Richard Marriot, a senior economist from the United Kingdom, Department of Trade and Industry, focused on the role that Turkey can play as an energy trading hub in the gas sector. The participants discussed different aspects of energy security in a roundtable format during the final stage of the meeting.

The second meeting of the Energy Security Group will take place on April 27, 2007 in Ankara.