The freeing of the electricity market in Turkey, and the determination of electricity prices between both buyers and sellers in a free market environment, has made our country serve as an energy gateway. Moreover, as a result of the recent numerous agreements that have been reached in the international arena in the energy sector, it is now an inevitable fact that electricity and energy trade and the issuance of financial products based on energy as well as the creation of a market in which these products can be readily traded and sold has become a major issue and focus for us recently.

In addition, the increase in global sales of both carbon and sera gas products has led to a change in the climate of the surrounding environment which has caused the international adoption of precautionary matters. Also the increase in both enforcement and regulation issues, as well as the carbon sales and the Kyoto Protocol which set forth the limits of carbon emission rates, and the launch of carbon trade, with the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in May 2009, and as of the end of August 2009, Turkey becoming a an official signatory of the Protocol, have all led to possibility for our country to impose some restrictions in relation to the carbon sales and within this framework, the trading of products in relation to carbon is expected to increase drastically. As a result, in every day that passes, the concept of carbon markets is gaining an ever increasing significance.

Within this context, the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB) has organized a workshop during the 10-11 September at the CMB headquarter premises in Ankara called ‘The Development of the Emission and Electricity Markets in Turkey'.