Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8
Trend:
Turkey will continue to buy Iranian gas despite US sanctions against Tehran, RIA Novosti cited Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez as saying.
The US has recently restored the first package of sanctions against Iran, the final stage of which would be a ban on oil exports, to be introduced in November.
"For us, energy security is very important,” Donmez said in an interview with Turkey’s A Haber TV channel. "We have a gas contract with Iran, its validity is until 2026. According to the contract, we buy 9.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. As we do not intend to leave our citizens to freeze in the cold, the implementation of the contract will be continued."
He added that the US decision on sanctions against Iran is one-sided, while Turkey is engaged in legitimate trade.
President Donald Trump announced on May 8 about the US withdrawal from the Iran deal and the forthcoming resumption of sanctions until the Iranian authorities change their domestic and foreign policies. The remaining members of the agreement still adhere to it.
The agreement between Iran and the six international mediators, namely, Russia, the US, UK, China, France, Germany, was concluded in July 2015. It imposes restrictions on the development of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic and financial sanctions.