Azerbaijani SOCAR Rejects Accusations On Oil Sales To Israel UPDATED

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. Accusations on oilsales to Israel are unfounded, Azerbaijan's SOCAR Türkiye said,commenting on the accusations, Trend reports.

“Recently, due to the ongoing geopolitical changes in theregion, SOCAR Türkiye and its affiliated companies have beentargeted by subversive groups through both social media andphysical actions.

These groups have been spreading provocative messages on socialmedia, making baseless claims that our company engages in crude oiltrade with Israel, and physically attacking our company premises,thereby endangering the safety of our employees. The escalatingprovocations against our headquarters building in Istanbul on March12, May 29, May 31, and June 2, as well as the Bursaqaz officebuilding in Bursa on May 24, pose a serious threat to the lives ofour staff.

We conduct all our operations in accordance with internationalbusiness agreements and the vision set forth by our head office,the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). In thiscontext, allegations that SOCAR is currently selling crude oil toIsrael are unfounded and are deliberately intended to misleadpublic opinion.

The global oil market has its own complexities, and the sale ofcrude oil is carried out through trading companies. Supplyingcompanies, including SOCAR, do not have the ability to control ordictate the destination and usage of the crude oil once it is sold, like other oil companies, sells its products through tradingrelationships with relevant trading companies. Therefore, it isimpossible for us to control or interfere with the finaldestination and usage of the crude oil supplied by SOCAR.

The investments and collaboration efforts of SOCAR Türkiye arerooted in the robust bonds of brotherhood and friendship betweenTürkiye and Azerbaijan, as well as the strategic alliance andmutual interests of our people. Over the 16 years of our presencein Türkiye, we have emerged as the largest foreign investor and theleading integrated industrial group in the country, withinvestments totaling approximately $18.3 billion. Our strategicmegaprojects, such as STAR and TANAP in the oil and gas sector,have significantly contributed to Türkiye's economic landscape endeavors have also created direct employment opportunitiesfor over five thousand six hundred individuals and indirectlysupported more than ten thousand employees across variouscities.

Our efforts to enhance our existing investments in Türkiyethrough new ventures are ongoing. Our contribution to alleviatingthe current energy deficit largely hinges on the economic value andemployment opportunities we generate, as well as the numeroussocial responsibility initiatives we undertake. We are dedicated tothe social welfare of the regions where we operate. Since the onsetof the tragic earthquake, we have stood in solidarity with theTurkish people, providing both free fuel support and deliveringessential supplies to the affected areas, a commitment we continueto uphold. Moreover, we are offering educational assistance to tensof thousands of students through the establishment of 11 schoolsacross various cities in Türkiye. Demonstrating our commitment tosocial responsibility, we persist in our endeavors in education,environmental conservation, and community engagement.

While we vehemently reject baseless allegations put forth bycertain provocateurs, we urge against placing reliance on thesestatements and actions aimed at manipulating public opinion andtarnishing our longstanding fraternal ties. We remain steadfast inour commitment to the shared interests and prosperity of theTurkish and Azerbaijani people. As encapsulated by our companyslogan, "Stronger together," the company stated.

MENAFN03062024000187011040ID1108289028