Guerillas Kill Oil Firm’s Employees
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, killed three employees of Bermuda’s TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. in southeast Turkey late last week.
TransAtlantic Petroleum, based in Hamilton, said the attack “appears to be an isolated event” in a statement issued today [Nov 28].
The incident took place at its Selmo field in southeast Turkey, said the company, which owns oil and gas properties in Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco and Romania.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told reporters that he talked with Transatlantic Petroleum’s representatives and that they would continue production in the region. An international firm had withdrawn in 1992-1994 following similar attacks, Mr. Yildiz told reporters in Istanbul without naming the company.
The attack with long-range weapons took place at about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday [Nov.23] in the Kozluk municipality and also wounded an employee of the firm, the Batman province’s governorship said in a statement on its website.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union.
TransAtlantic chairman N. Malone Mitchell said: “Despite the tragic events that transpired last week, TransAtlantic expects to proceed with its existing strategy at Selmo field. We appreciate the tremendous grief experienced by the friends and families of the victims and are working with the authorities to finish their investigations. We trust them to take the actions necessary to bring those responsible to justice. Senior government ministers have assured us they will act and we take them at their word.
“To say that ‘ordinary operations have resumed’ is disrespectful both to the families of those who died and to those that continue to operate in the field. However, our brave and hardworking operations team resumed production operations on Thursday and have returned the field to recent production levels.
“TransAtlantic is increasing and changing its security strategy for our field operations to continue to provide our employees and contractors with the protection that they deserve while realising that it is always hard to anticipate and defend premeditated intent to do violence.
Headquartered in Bermuda, TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. is an international oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration and production of oil and natural gas.
The company holds interests in developed and undeveloped oil and gas properties in Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco and Romania.
Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing in regarding to the your report headed ”Guerrillas killed oil Firm’s employees”, claiming that those emplooyees killed by the PKK.
However, I have to say this is an false report given out by the Turkish media outlets, which get their news directly from the pscycological warfare centre belongs to the Erdogan’s government to carry out their all kind terror actions on the Kurdish population living in the area.
I have to remind you that the HPG (the Peoples Defence Force)(guerrilla force)’s Press and Communication Center said on 25/11/2011 that ”Our forces have nothing to do with the attack carried out against the Petrolium Searching Yard on 23 November 2011, in the district of Kozluk/Batman.”
If you would like to get weekly developments please wright to me.
Thank you.
Roj WELAT
Thank you