Turkish firm tells Lebanon to fix debts or face power cuts

Karadeniz says it will cut supplies unless Beirut halts legal action to seize its power barges and sorts out arrears.

Turkey’s Karadeniz, which supplies electricity to Lebanon from power barges, said on Tuesday Beirut must halt legal action to seize its vessels and sort out arrears or it will shut down supplies to the country that is mired in a financial crisis. A Lebanese prosecutor issued a decision last week to seize the barges and fine the firm after TV channel al-Jadeed reported corruption allegations tied to the power contract. The firm denies the charges and said at the weekend it had not been paid for 18 months, a period coinciding with Lebanon’s financial crisis.