Turkish President Concerned About Arrest in Tunisia, Clashes in Sudan
Date
4/19/2023 4:51:42 AM
(MENAFN) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his concern over the recent arrest of Ennahda Party leader Rached Ghannouchi by Tunisian security forces. In a televised interview, Erdogan stated that he will be speaking to authorities in Tunisia to convey his concern and make it clear that he does not find the arrest appropriate. Although he has not yet been able to contact the authorities in Tunisia, he plans to continue trying until he can express his concerns.
Erdogan has also commented on the recent clashes in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have resulted in the death of at least 185 people and injured 1,800 others. He expressed his concern over the situation and noted that Türkiye is prepared to provide support to Sudan for peace and stability. Erdogan has urged the Sudanese people to work together towards building the country's future by putting their differences aside.
During the interview, Erdogan was asked about the recently inaugurated Istanbul Finance Center (IFC) which aims to become one of the top 10 finance centers in the world within 10 years. The IFC is being run by the Türkiye Wealth Fund in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and was launched in 2009. The center has been built with an investment of 65 billion Turkish liras (USD3.3 billion) and is expected to become a hub for finance and fintech.
On the topic of Black Sea natural gas, Erdogan pledged to increase production in the field to 40 million cubic meters within three years. Once the second phase is completed, he believes that the country will be able to meet the gas needs of all households. The seismic work has been completed in the central Black Sea and is currently continuing in the Eastern Black Sea. After that, drilling will begin.
Finally, Erdogan announced that a ceremony will be held on April 27 for transporting fresh fuel to Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to join the ceremony via videoconference. The Akkuyu NPP in Mersin province will be Türkiye’s first nuclear plant and will have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and four reactors. Erdogan expressed hope that the first unit of the NPP will start producing electricity within a year, with three units starting up one year apart. He added that the NPP will contribute USD6.5 billion to the country's economy. Erdogan also revealed that Turkey is preparing for its second nuclear power plant and has held talks with China and South Korea.
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