ANKARA

Turkey does not import oil from ISIL as it has deals with 13 countries to buy petroleum, said Turkey's Energy Minister on Thursday.

Taner Yildiz and Georgian Energy Minister Kakhaber Kaladze spoke at a press conference after their meeting in Turkish capital. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry claimed that, ISIL sells its oil illegally through the neighboring countries of Syria such as Turkey and Lebanon on Wednesday during a briefing given to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee about President Barack Obama’s ISIL strategy. 

"Turkey is a state of law. We have agreements to purchase oil from 13 different countries such as Russia, Iran and Iraq. It's not just about the oil trade, we don't have any relations with ISIL," Yildiz responded to the claims of Kerry.

"ISIL may want to fill the political gaps in Syria and Iraq but it doesn't mean that Turkish government would tolerate its position in the region" he said.

On the other hand Kaladze said that, Georgia has a big potential of hydropower and called Turkish businessmen for investments in his country.

Lacking necessary fossil resources such as oil and natural gas, Georgia relies heavily on hydropower for its electricity production.

Georgia produces three-quarters of its electricity needs by 53 hydro power plants and by $3 billion investment in 45 hydro projects; country is to increase this production capacity tremendously. With the investments in hydro energy projects Georgia aims to export surplus electricity to neighbor Turkey by transmission lines directly.

Georgia became a regional energy hub by using its geographical position in the Caucasus by taking a part in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline project that carries around 1 million barrels of Azerbaijani oil to Turkey's Mediterranean cost for international consumption. The South Caucasus pipeline that runs parallel to BTC also passes via Georgia that carries Azerbaijani natural gas from Caspian Sea to Turkey.

www.aa.com.tr/en