ISTANBUL: Turkey does not expect tighter US sanctions to apply to its natural gas imports from Iran, its energy minister said yesterday, which would mean Tehran will continue to supply and get paid by its biggest gas customer.
The US Senate resoundingly approved expanded sanctions on global trade with Iran’s energy and shipping sectors on Friday in its latest effort to ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme. Turkey, which is likely to overtake Britain as Europe’s third-biggest electricity consumer within a decade, depends heavily on imported energy and could suffer if it had to sharply reduce imports from Iran.
“Iran is Turkey’s second-biggest supplier of natural gas, I believe (sanctions) will not cover it ... We know that sanctions of this kind would not only be against Iran but would also be against Turkey,” Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told a news conference in Istanbul. Turkey produces most of its electricity from natural gas and is already struggling to diversify its energy suppliers.
The new sanctions, the third round in a year if passed into law, include measures aimed at stopping the flow of gold from Turkey to Iran in exchange for natural gas.
More than 90 percent of Iran’s gas exports, or about 10 billion cubic metres a year, go to Turkey under a 25-year supply deal. That makes Iran Turkey’s second-largest gas supplier after Russia.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey would continue to buy natural gas from Iran and had told the relevant parties the trade would continue.
Washington says Tehran is enriching uranium to levels that could be used in nuclear weapons. Iran says the programme is for peaceful purposes.
US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone said the US authorities were “in very close touch” with the Turkish government on the matter. “We are focused with our Turkish ally on the same strategic purpose of preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons in this region,” Ricciardone told reporters in Ankara.
Reuters
