Turkey puts pressure on Iran for cheaper gas

Young journalists club

News ID: 3501
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 13:14 - 17 February 2014
Tehran, YJC. While Turkey is trying via international arbitration to get Iranian gas for less, Iran says it will agree to Turkey only if doubling export.

Turkey has sued Iran for charging too much and cutting corners in its gas export. It is said that in case Iran is convicted, it will have to pay from 2 to $2.5 billion.

Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız had recently said that he was 99 percent sure that the court would rule for Turkey and that Ankara is to charge Tehran for $2 billion.

He had asserted "We have told Iran that their gas was too pricy and that if they didn’t settle for negotiations we would have sued to the International Court of Arbitration.”

Iran’s Deputy Minister of Oil in International and Trade Affairs said "Iran and Turkey will negotiate the price, but Iran’s major policy is to make its share of the gas market in Turkey equal to that of Russia.
Maintaining that Russia sells gas to Turkey 2.5 to 3 times Iran, Ali Majedi said that Iran is planning to raise its gas trade with Turkey by 100 percent, adding "The increase in export will probably take 4 to 5 years from 2015 to 2018.”

He pointed out that new phases of the South Pars gas field will provide Iran with the ability to count on more export, adding "If Iran’s share in the Turk market equals that of Russia, then we can talk about the price in a competitive market.”

Meanwhile Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said "There have been negotiations between Iran and Turkey to off the price in case export is doubled. But despite bilateral talks, Iran has so far not agreed to Turkey’s request on gas.”

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