My Lord Mayor, Turgut ÖzalPrime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen. This is a great occassion and I am very grateful to you, my Lord Mayor, for giving me the opportunity to start the work on the Ankara Natural Gas Distribution Project.
As one looks around, it is difficult to believe that only sixty-five years ago when the great Kemal Atatürk first chose Ankara as a capital, it was little more than a village. Few cities in the world have grown so quickly to become a major metropolis.
But rapid growth inevitably brings great challenges with it, problems of pollution, congestion and maintaining standards in essential services. I know that Ankara is making great efforts under your leadership, Lord Mayor, to meet these challenges. Denis ThatcherMy husband has just visited the water treatment plant built with the help of British aid funds by the British company Paterson Candy International and its Turkish partner Guris. This is an area in which British technology is a world leader.
Air pollution is another problem and a growing one. As the people's standard of living improves, they attach more importance to their environment and particularly to clean air. The use of natural gas is a major step towards this and it gives me great pleasure that [end p1] a British Company AMEC International in partnership with a Turkish company Kutlutas should have won this contract in the face of stiff international competition.
British Gas has also been retained as consultants for the project and the British Government has given some help too so there is no doubt that you have chosen the best possible team for the job. And what a good advertisement for privatisation as well.
My Lord Mayor, the Ankara Natural Gas Distribution Project will be only one example of a whole new market which I am sure will be created in Turkey over the coming years based on the supply of natural gas. Any housewife in Britain will tell you of the advantages of natural gas in the home. Any industrialist will tell you of its efficiency and cost saving in the factory.
But gas does not do the job on its own. You need the infrastructure of pipelines, new technology to manufacture the appliances and burners designed to make the most efficient use of the fuel. That should lead to a lot more joint ventures between Britain and Turkish companies to manufacture new products here all contributing to more jobs and more prosperity.
My Lord Mayor, I know you have many other exciting and ambitious development plans for your city: water, gas, transport, housing, health or any other of the 101 activities of a large municipality. In every field you will find a ready partner in Britain.
The work which we are starting today should be not only of great benefit to the people of Ankara but also the opening of a new chapter in the practical contribution of British firms and British [end p2] expertise to Turkey's future.
Bu onemli proje, Ankara icin hayirle olsun. (May this important project benefit Ankara).