Turkey hammer: Erdogan turns off the power to industry - for at least three days

Created: 01/26/2022, 11:32 am

By: Franziska Schwarz

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government temporarily imposes an energy lockdown on businesses in the country.

© Depo Photos/Imago

Companies in Turkey will soon have to do without energy for a while.

German companies are also affected.

Munich – companies in Turkey* are groping in the dark.

In the near future, electricity will no longer flow temporarily, nor will natural gas.

This is how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan* wants it.

The Turkish government has announced that it will cut supplies for at least three days.

The Handelsblatt reports.

The newspaper quotes the Turkish network supplier Teias as saying that anyone who circumvents the delivery break faces criminal sanctions.

"I don't know if I should even send my workers to the factory this week," said one of those affected.

"There is panic," says the industry.

Energy lockdown in Turkey: German companies also affected

But not only companies in the country are affected.

Siemens, Bosch and Bayer also have important locations in Turkey.

"German companies are looking at the announced power cuts with great concern," said AHK Turkey Managing Director Thilo Pahl of the newspaper.

The supply chain problems exacerbate everything.

"In addition, industrial plants cannot simply be switched on and off without damaging technically sensitive systems such as blast furnaces," says Pahl.

Erdogan government is struggling with energy supply bottlenecks

What is the Background of the Unusual Energy Halt?

After all, it is likely to exacerbate the tense economic situation in Turkey.

There are delivery bottlenecks.

The country currently has to import a good three quarters of its gas requirements, primarily from Russia* and Iran*.

From the latter a good 16 percent, according to the report.

In Iran, however, unusually cold temperatures have recently caused gas consumption by domestic customers to skyrocket, which is why exports are now being throttled.

There was also an act of sabotage on a pipeline that interrupted the flow about ten days ago.

As for Russia, Turkey's second major gas supplier, the

warns in its report: President Vladimir Putin could also cut supplies, in case he wants to increase pressure on the Erdogan government to withdraw from Ukraine -Keep out of conflict.