Jon Gorvett
Once a premium destination for overseas investors, Turkey’s power sector has recently been struggling with the impact of lower-than-expected growth rates, partial market liberalisation and fixed, long-term natural gas contracts. Power generation firms face further stress as the economic impact of the pandemic bites. Efforts to arrange a new debt restructuring deal have been delayed by the virus and wider economic woes, casting uncertainty over future demand. However, the sector retains some high-grade assets, however, which may attract future investor interest.
Huawei and 5G – what’s the big deal?
President Donald Trump’s Executive Order declaring a national emergency over threats from the unrestricted acquisition or use of ICT in the US on May 15, and the barring of US businesses from purchasing Huawei products and selling critical technology to the Chinese telecoms giant, are intended to protect the country and, arguably, Western democracies from foreign (China) adversaries who are creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in their ICT infrastructure. However, Trump’s move should also be viewed within the broader context of the growing tensions between the US and China, with the specific measures taken against Huawei being part and parcel of their ongoing trade war.
