An interesting article from UPI’s John Daly via Energy Daily, that points out that the Bush administration’s inattention to Turkish domestic and foreign policy concerns has produced the growing estrangement between the two nations and that Washington has nothing to offer Ankara in the energy sphere. As a necessity, Turkey has moved national energy concerns ahead of placating U.S. foreign-policy initiatives:

“…Ankara and Tehran have signed $1.5 billion in agreements providing for the joint construction of three 2,000-megawatt thermal power plants — two in Iran and one in Turkey, and several hydroelectric plants in Iran with a total 10,000-megawatt capability. The agreements also provide for upgrading electrical power transmission lines between the two countries.

Under terms of the agreement, Ankara will import 3 billion to 6 billion kilowatt hours of electrical energy annually. At present, Iran exports electricity to Turkey through two transmission lines totaling 250 megawatts.

….The reality for Turkey is that it currently imports 90 percent of its energy needs at a time of record-high oil prices, and Ankara’s interest is to acquire reasonably priced energy imports from whatever source is available. In addressing this economic reality, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sept. 20 said Turkey relied on imports from Iran and Russia and it would be “out of the question to stop imports from either country.

….As unsettling as Washington finds the recent Iranian-Turkish energy agreements, worse may follow, as Turkey has reportedly reached a $3 billion agreement with Iran to develop phases 22-24 of the Caspian offshore South Pars project, while potential pipeline projects include 2,200 miles of gas pipelines to transport up to 40 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Europe via Turkey. Turkish and many EU politicians believe that rather then pressuring Iran, perhaps it’s time for Washington to reconsider the entire issue of sanctions against Tehran.”