Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
An Iranian trade official has dismissed reports suggesting that Tehran has cut gas prices for export to Turkey by 15 percent.
"The reports regarding 15 percent reduction in the prices for Iran's gas export to Turkey are not true," ISNA news agency quoted the secretary of Iran-Turkey commercial cooperation council, Seyed Jalal Ebrahimi, as saying Feb. 12.
Pointing to the considerable amount of Turkey's gas import from Iran and bilateral ties between the neighboring countries, he said that disagreements over the prices should not be considered as dispute.
In 1996, Iran and Turkey signed a 25-year deal on supply of 30 million cubic meters of gas to Turkey per day.
But in March 2012, Ankara appealed to the International Court of Arbitration regarding the price of Iranian gas.
Although the contract is still in place, it remains a sore point in the two countries' gas sector relations.
Turkey wanted a 25-percent discount from Iran for the supplied gas, while Iran said it would agree to the discount if Turkey increases the amount of imported gas.
Iran is considered a major gas supplier to Turkey as the Islamic Republic annually delivers about 10 billion cubic meters of gas there.
There have been conflicting reports over the verdict of the arbitration court.
While Iranian oil ministry denies reports suggesting that Tehran has to pay compensation, Turkish sources say Ankara has won the case.