One of the leading gatherings of the energy sector in our region, 21st ICCI – International Energy and Environment Fair and Conference was held in Istanbul on May 6-8. The Fair and Conference brought together 414 participating companies and more than 15 thousand visitors from 53 countries. Borsa İstanbul was one of the main supporters of the event. As one of the biggest shareholders of Energy Markets Operation Joint Stock Company (EPİAŞ), Borsa İstanbul organized a “Borsa İstanbul Special Session” where its officials came together with the energy sector.
Entitled “EPİAŞ: Expectations, Targets, Priorities”, Borsa İstanbul Special Session was held on the first day of the Conference and chaired by Borsa İstanbul Executive Vice President and EPİAŞ Board Member Dr. Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz. The panelists were EPİAŞ Chairman Hasan Hüseyin Savaş, EPİAŞ Board Member and TEİAŞ Assistant General Manager and Board Member Abdülkadir Ongun, EPİAŞ Board Member Mustafa Karahan, Energy Trade Association Chairman and Sanko Enerji CEO Cem Aşık and Fina Elektrik Enerjisi CEO Dr. Onur Yazgan.
Dr. Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz opened the session emphasizing that EPİAŞ functions to allow dependable price formation which will provide a benchmark for investments in Turkey, and added that dependable price formation is only possible through introducing transparency, efficient market surveillance, easy and unbiased access, improved trading systems and effective risk management mechanisms. The panel discussed that EPİAŞ must prioritize the reliability and consistency of information technology practices, introduce international best practices on transparency, offer a market structure that covers natural gas, and develop a business model which includes big consumers and financial companies. The panel ended with a question & answer session.
The panel, participated by EPİAŞ Board Members and the leading representatives of the energy sector was, in a sense, the launch of EPİAŞ following its registration on March 18, 2015, and therefore attracted much attention during ICCI 2015. The Conference was opened by the Republic of Turkey Minister of Energy and Natural Resources H.E. Taner Yıldız, Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology Commission Chairman Halil Mazıcıoğlu, TBMM Environment Commission Chairman Erol Kaya and Republic of Turkey Energy Market Regulatory Authority President Mustafa Yılmaz. During the Conference, a panel moderated by Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) President Ömer Cihad Vardan was held, where the Republic of Turkey Minister of Energy and Natural Resources H.E. Taner Yıldız made an evaluation of the past period.
