TURKEY SEES ITSELF AS ENERGY HUB FOR EUROPE

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey regards itself as the future energy hub for Europe. Turkish officials said their country's location as the gateway for crudeoil and natural gas from Russia and Central Asia would make Ankara a vitalplayer for the European Union. They said that given Turkey's role as anenergy hub the EU would be unable to reject Ankara's application formembership.