Energy: no cut in power transfer to Syria

Turkey is continuing to transmit electricity to Syria, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said at the International Energy Congress and Fair in Ankara yesterday as reported by Anatolia news agency. The already-tense relations between the countries have been further strained as Turkish troops pounded targets in Syria yesterday in reprisal for cross-border fire that had killed five Turkish civilians the previous day. He also said it was unlikely electricity and natural gas prices would go up due to the tension between the countries. "We do not expect that. We know that Syria is not a large oil and natural-gas producer and that Turkey's energy consumption is disproportionate to the energy figure in that country," he said. Electricity transmission to Syria continues, he said. "We do not talk about any sanctions regarding the Syrian people, the innocent people there." He said he did not think that the tension would turn into a shooting war. The incident marked the first time that Turkish citizens have been killed as a result of fire from the country's war-torn southern neighbor.