Turkey takes Iran to arbitration court

ANKARA

Turkey took Iran to the International Arbitration Court on Jan. 16 over gas imports, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said yesterday.

“We took Iran to court Jan. 16 because of the inadequate amount of gas they have exported to us. We are also talking about the price of gas. We haven’t been able to reach a deal since July 2011, and if we cannot agree by March we will also take the price paid for gas imports to the court,” Yıldız said. 

“Inadequate amount and the price issues will be on our agenda,” he added. International arbitration over the price of Iranian natural gas was “inevitable” due to Tehran’s reluctance to provide a discount, Yıldız said Jan. 16.

Stating that Turkey will continue to buy oil from Iran despite U.S. and EU unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Yıldız said, “Price paid for the gas imports from Iran is above the international prices. If the arbitration council would approve it, we would take price difference.” 
Turkey imports 10 billion cubic meters of gas each year from Iran, making it Turkey’s second-biggest supplier after Russia. 

Russia and Iran are followed by Azerbaijan as the top exporters of gas to Turkey. k HDN