OREANDA-NEWS. In Ankara, in the presence of the French and Turkish presidents, Francois Hollande and Abdullah Gul, the Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ, Gerard Mestrallet, and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in Turkey, Taner Y?ld?z, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the Turkish Government relating to cooperation on future energy initiatives in Turkey.

GDF SUEZ and the Turkish Government undertake to provide continued co-operation and support to pursue objectives of further growth and investment in the Turkish energy sector. GDF SUEZ is looking to expand its presence in Turkey through the 4,400 MW Sinop nuclear development project together with EUAS and Japanese partners and the 1,320 MW Adana thermal project.

At the signing ceremony, Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ, said: “We remain committed to investing in major energy projects in Turkey and supporting the Turkish Government to ensure security of supply as the country's demand for energy grows. With our existing presence in Turkey and expertise across the energy sector, GDF SUEZ is well placed to deliver important energy infrastructure for the country.”

GDF SUEZ has a long-standing presence in the Turkish market with activities involving power generation and gas distribution. GDF SUEZ has interests in approximately 1,250 MW of power generation capacity in Turkey through the Baymina and Unimar gas-fired power plants. The Group also owns Izgaz, the country's third largest gas distribution company.