Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran says the International Court of Arbitration hasn't announced its final verdict on the country's gas dispute with Turkey.
The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) released a report on its official website, saying that the final decision would be announced in future over Turkey's gas compliant against Iran, filed in 2013.
The released report came out a couple of hours after the head of this company, Hamidreza Araqi, Iran's deputy oil minister and NIGC managing director.
Araqi previously said that due to court's ruling in favor of Turkey, Iran will have to pay a compensation to the country.
"The International Court of Arbitration court has ruled against Iran in its gas dispute with Turkey," Araqi, Iran's deputy oil minister and NIGC managing director said.
Araqi previously said that according to the court's ruling, Iran should provide Turkey with compensation of 10-15 percent for the gas supplied to that country within 2011-2015, Shana reported Feb. 2.
In 1996, Iran and Turkey signed a 25-year deal on supplying 30 million cubic meters of gas to Turkey per day. Ankara appealed to the International Court of Arbitration regarding the price on Iranian gas in March 2012.
Although the contract is still in place, it remains a sore point in the two countries' gas relationship. The two sides have held new talks on both price and volume of imported gas from Iran.
Turkey wanted a 25-percent discount from Iran for the supplied gas, while Iran said to agree to the discount if Turkey increases the amount of imported gas. Eventually, the sides has to settle the dispute in the court.
Iran is Turkey's second supplier of gas after Russia, providing for one-fifth of the country's consumption.