Botas calls for TPAO merger

摘要

The head of Turkish state gas importer and pipeline operator Botas has criticized government plans to sell off portions of the company's gas import contacts to the private sector. He called instead for the company to be merged with state owned upstream operator TPAO, to create an integrated oil and gas operator big enough to compete with international majors.rnSpeaking at a conference in Istanbul September 5, Huseyn Saltuk Duzyol pointed out that Turkey's gas market liberalization program, under which Botas is obliged to sell off 80% of its oil and gas import contracts to the private sector by 2009, was "unrealistic", and did not reflect the realities of the market or of Botas' situation.