Speaking at the ceremony, the TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey’s energy needs would increase in the future, making an investment of 100 billion dollars in the next years in energy necessary.
Inviting investors to invest in the energy sector, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “If Turkey is to have a strong economy, if it is to be a prosperous country, it needs quality democracy.”
- “Turns out Mr. Rona is smarter than us”
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “They say that those of us from Kayseri are smart but Mr. Rona turned out to be smarter. Why? He makes money as long as the wind blows.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu, saying that drawing foreign investors to produce in Turkey could be an answer to the current foreign deficit, said that the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız has enacted this strategy in the energy sector, “If Everyone would follow our Energy Minister’s example, the current deficit would be solved.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Our esteemed Energy Minister has shown a point of Kayseri cleverness. He told the AKRES Board President Rona Yırcalı and their German partner Nordex that if they used the materials produced in Germany to build the plant we would buy the electricity produced at 7 cents or they could use our domestic products, in which case we’d pay 11 cents.”
- Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yıldız
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said that a changing and developing Turkey cannot have an energy sector which isn’t growing, advancing and changing.
Minister Yıldız stated that Turkey has decided to grow and to grow through the private sector and that a more liberal, free and a structure that invests more and more only through the investments of the private sector has been established.
Emphasizing the importance of investment through the private sector, Minister Yıldız said, “A growing, advancing and changing Turkey cannot have an unchanging energy sector.”
- EPDK President Hasan Köktaş
EPDK President Hasan Köktaş stated that wind energy is preferred in Turkey and that wind energy plants all over the country have been starting operations in the last 5 years. He noted that the Akres would produce 165 million kw/h electricity.
Akres President Rona Yırcalı stated that the wind energy plant commissioned by the Best-Karesi Energy Group has been constructed over 200 acres in 1 year, consisting of 18 mills weighing 250 tons each. Yırcalı stated that the 18 mills produce enough energy for 100,000 residences.
After the speeches, Deputy Prime Minister Arınç, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yıldız, EPDK President Köktaş, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu, Akres Board President Yırcalı and various guests pressed the button to start the mills.
