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New Turkish Govt. set to engage India

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) Dec.15. Turkey's newly-elected government that is led by a party that has Islamic roots is set to establish high-level political contacts with India.

The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Bulent Arinc, is arriving in India tonight on a weeklong visit. Mr. Arinc will be the second high level representative of the Turkish Government to visit India after the November elections that brought the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power. Ali Babacan, a State Minister with an economic portfolio, had visited India earlier during the meeting of the G-20 countries in New Delhi. Analysts point out that by unrolling its engagement with India, Turkey is signalling to New Delhi that its policy is not governed by any religious agenda.

Positioned at the gates of Asia and Europe, Turkey is seen as a pillar against the spread of religious extremism from Central and West Asia to the rest of the world.

Prior to Mr. Arinc's visit, India and Turkey have quietly begun to cooperate in the field of energy.

The Turkish company Limak and the Indian firm Punj-Lloyd are involved in laying a section of a U.S.-backed strategic oil pipeline that will transport oil from Azerbaijan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The initiative is part of a larger western effort to build a network of pipelines that will carry oil and gas from the Caspian Sea area to the Turkish Mediterranean coast.

The project is influenced by the geopolitical rivalry between the U. S. and Iran.

The construction of what is called the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline is expected to affect Iran's importance as one of the natural gateways for Caspian oil and gas.

Out of a total length of 1,750 km, the joint Indo-Turkish venture will involve the laying of 332-km pipeline within Turkey from Ulas to Ceyhan.

The Ulas-Ceyhan stretch of the pipeline will cut across hazardous terrain, which will involve bisecting seven rivers and negotiating the steep Kocadag and Taurus mountain ranges.Besides, India's Oil and Natural Gas Commission (Videsh) and the Turkish Petroleum Company are engaged in an overseas oil venture in Libya.

Turkish companies are also bidding for participation in the upcoming Indian highway construction projects along with an Indian partner.

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