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U.S. offers Turkey help with nuclear reactors

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, February 14, 2006

The United States has offered to help build Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

Turkish and U.S. officials have discussed Ankara's plans to build up to eight nuclear reactors for energy production. They said the Bush administration has offered to help Ankara implement the project.

Over the last year, Turkey and the United States have claimed success in restoring military relations which have been strained by the election of an Islamist-leaning government in Ankara which resisted U.S. efforts to use Turkish bases to mount its offensive on Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Now, the Bush administration has renewed efforts to use Turkey as a base for reconnaissance operations against Iran, Middle East Newsline reported.

On Feb. 9, Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler met U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman in Washington for a discussion on cooperation. Later, the two men toured a nuclear reactor at Lake Anna, Va.

[In an unrelated development, the London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation voted for a $6.8 billion takeover by the United Arab Emirates-based DP World. The vote would enable the Dubai firm to take over operations of six leading ports in the United States.]

"The rise in petrol prices has also influenced our thinking on this subject, as we see it is necessary to diversify resources and at the same time secure the supplies," Guler said. "That is one of the driving forces behind this visit and we want to put nuclear energy in our basket of supply sources."


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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