CHP's Yavuzyılmaz reveals the cost of illicit oil transport to Turkey: 1 billion 471 million dollars

CHP Zonguldak Deputy Deniz Yavuzyılmazstated that, according to an International Arbitration Court ruling, illicit oil was transported through the Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline between May 21, 2014, and September 30, 2018, without the permission and approval of the Iraqi Central Government, resulting in Turkey being fined 1 billion 471 million dollars. He asked, "Which countries' cheap oil purchases is the AKP effectively subsidizing from our citizens' pockets? According to the Iraq Energy Institute report, the countries buying this cheap oil are Israel, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and a few others. Shame on your hypocritical policy."

In the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly, convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Celal Adan, the 2026 budgets of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources are being discussed. Political parties with groups in the assembly are expressing their views and proposals regarding the budgets.

CHP Zonguldak Deputy Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, stating that "foul odors continue to emerge" regarding the AKP's international energy activities, and that the allegations are documented and based on a court ruling. Displaying the 277-page International Court of Arbitration ruling in his hand, Yavuzyılmazstated that the ruling reveals that between May 21, 2014, and September 30, 2018, oil was transported illicitly through the Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline without the permission and approval of the Iraqi Central Government.

Stating that the International Court of Arbitration fined Turkey 1 billion 471 million dollars due to these irregularities, Yavuzyılmazsaid that this corresponds to approximately 63 billion Turkish Lira at the current exchange rate. Yavuzyılmazsaid, "If a private company or individuals had done this, it would be called oil smuggling." Yavuzyılmazcontinued as follows:

"According to the court ruling, Iraq is found to be in the right regarding its two major claims, while Turkey is found to be in the right regarding seven minor claims through the AKP channel. It rules that Turkey must pay Iraq 1 billion 997 million dollars, and Iraq must pay Turkey 526 million dollars. Consequently, Turkey has been fined a net amount of 1 billion 471 million dollars. Furthermore, the status of 673 million dollars of this fine remains uncertain."

"Because 233 million barrels of oil, transported illicitly through the AKP's efforts, were sold for 5.77 dollars less per barrel than Iraq's international market price, Turkey was fined 673 million dollars. So, which countries bought the cheap oil in this illicit trade that caused us to incur this fine? Which countries' cheap oil purchases is the AKP effectively subsidizing out of our citizens' pockets? According to the Iraq Energy Institute report, the countries that bought this cheap oil are Israel, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and a few others. Shame on this hypocritical policy of yours."

Şevkin: We have an average foreign trade deficit of 50-60 billion dollars in energy every year

CHP Adana Deputy Müzeyyen Şevkin stated that to understand a country, one must look at how people die there. She expressed that the 49 billion lira budget allocated to the energy sector is insufficient, stating that it is impossible to carry out the country's necessary energy, mineral, and raw material exploration activities, as well as efforts to reduce damages from natural disasters, with this budget. Şevkin used the following expressions:

"Due to the insufficient budget, we have an average foreign trade deficit of 50-60 billion dollars in energy every year. There are 14 volcanic-origin natural geothermal sources in our country. You are trying to uncover them with only 10-15 drillings. Geothermal energy, a domestic and national resource, is actually an alternative to natural gas. The natural gas we buy from abroad. This situation also applies to energy and industrial raw materials, mining institutions, and the issue of reducing the country's disaster damages. If this strategy, which causes a foreign deficit in the energy and mining sectors, is abandoned, this 50-60 billion dollar deficit can be closed within 10 years."

From Kış To Minister Bayraktar: Instead of providing cheap electricity to citizens, you are filling the coffers of distribution companies

CHP Mersin Deputy Gülcan Kış stated that energy policies "lack a solid foundation," noting that there are no concrete results reflected in citizens' bills that lower production costs or permanently ensure supply security. Expressing that the increases in electricity bills are due to hikes in distribution fees rather than energy costs, Kış stated that the bills reflected in citizens' households are the most concrete indicator of this failure.

Kış said, "The exorbitant increases in electricity bills are not due to energy costs, but because of the hikes you made to distribution fees. Mr. Minister, you prefer to fill the coffers of distribution companies instead of providing cheap electricity to the citizens. You are not encouraging energy transition; you are increasing energy poverty." Kış continued as follows:

"One of the most important issues for our country is nuclear energy. Our party's stance on nuclear energy has been clear and distinct from yesterday to today. As we clearly stated in our party program adopted at our 39th Grand Assembly, we view energy as a public responsibility, not a market one. We will ensure supply security in energy by producing based on domestic and renewable resources, reducing foreign dependency, and basing it on efficiency. We will establish an energy management system that does not withdraw the public from the market, but rather strengthens the public once again. We will remove strategic energy organizations from the grip of privatization and open all agreements, tenders, and investment decisions in the energy sector to parliamentary oversight."

Arslan: Large sums of money are being taken from our citizens' pockets and going into the pockets of distribution companies

CHP İzmir Deputy Ednan Arslan stated that the term "subsidy" is frequently used by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, asking, "Is the reality really like that? Are the companies being subsidized, or is the citizen subsidizing them?"

Sharing data regarding electricity bills, Arslan stated that since 2022, energy unit prices have fallen from 1 lira 21 kuruş to 49 kuruş, while conversely, distribution fees have risen from 34 kuruş to 1 lira 84 kuruş. Arslan continued his speech as follows:

"Energy prices have fallen, and distribution fees have been increased. In this way, large sums of money are being taken from our citizens' pockets and going into the pockets of distribution companies. I made a calculation by increasing the distribution fees at the revaluation rate. Over three years, 562 billion liras of money have entered the pockets of distribution companies. Both the President and the Minister are subsidizing the distribution companies. So, what does this 562 billion liras correspond to? It amounts to approximately 13.5 billion dollars. Well, what was the revenue we obtained when we privatized these distribution companies and this distribution business? Approximately 13 billion dollars. In other words, in three years, we took the money we received from that privatization out of the citizens' pockets and put it into the pockets of the distribution companies."

Özkan: There is no other example in the world of a nuclear power plant on one's own soil that belongs to another country, except for Turkey

CHP Kırklareli Deputy Fahri Özkan stated that nuclear energy was on the rise in the 1970s, but countries began to abandon this field following the Chernobyl disaster. Noting that the rate of nuclear power plant construction worldwide has fallen from 17.5 percent to 9 percent, Özkan expressed that many countries are moving away from nuclear energy and turning toward renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

Stating that claims regarding the need for a nuclear power plant in Turkey do not reflect the truth, Özkan said the country is extremely rich in terms of renewable energy sources and that there is no urgent need for nuclear energy. Özkan used the following expressions:

"The construction currently underway in Mersin Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is entirely under the capital and management of the Russian state company Rosatom under its management and control. There is no other example in the world of a nuclear power plant on one's own soil that belongs to another country, except for Turkey. We, however, are providing a guarantee to purchase the energy produced by the Russians on our own soil for fifteen years. The average energy price in Turkey is 7 cents, and we will be buying it from the Russians at 12.35 cents; the difference is 100 percent. The Russians produce both the plant and the fuel themselves. This situation poses a major risk to the energy market in terms of foreign dependency."

Another significant issue is nuclear waste. Nuclear waste remains active and continues to emit radiation for no less than a hundred years. Remember when the Siemens representative said, 'Radioactive waste in Turkey could be buried under the Taurus Mountains'? Then, they practically mocked our intelligence by saying, 'Turkey's brilliant minds will find a solution for nuclear waste in the next twenty years.' The Kaz Mountains are gone; is it now the turn of the Taurus Mountains? It is impossible to understand why you choose the most beautiful areas of our country. The planned power plant will not only destroy this place but will also ruin Thrace, which is Turkey's breadbasket, end agriculture, and destroy the forests."

News Source: 12punto