Azerbaijan, Baku, July 10 / Trend, A. Taghiyeva /
Information that Turkey pays for energy resources imported from Iran in gold is not true, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reported.
"The whole payment is made in the form corresponding agreements signed between the parties," Yildiz said.
He said Botas company makes payments in dollars, while Tupras in lira.
Yesterday several Turkish media outlets reported that Turkey began paying for oil and gas imports from Iran in gold since March 2012.
According to the report, Turkey and Iran have chosen this method of payment for energy resources imported into Turkey from Iran after the SWIFT Company which was engaged in money transfer to Iran, stopped cooperating with Tehran in March this year.
According to the newspaper, that's why gold exports from Turkey to Iran have sharply increased since March 2012. Gold exports from Turkey to Iran in March-May 2012 amounted to 60 tons.
Turkey imports eight million tons of oil and eight billion cubic meters of gas from Iran every year.