Turkey will allow gas transit to Europe from any country, including Iran, Turkish Minister of Energy Taner Yildiz said here on Thursday, the CNN Turk TV channel reports.
“The main direction of our policy consisting in the diversification of energy sources and transit routes will be put into effect along the same line,” Yildiz said. He replied in this way to Richard Morningstar, U.S. special representative for energy problems in Eurasia, who said that in the current situation Iran could not take part in the implementation of new energy projects. Washington stated before that the United States was against the transportation of Iranian gas to Europe across the Turkish territory until U.S. relations with Teheran were normalized and until the problem of the Iranian nuclear programme was settled.
“It is Iran that makes decisions on gas transportation from Iran, while Turkey makes decisions connected with gas transportation by its territory. We shall permit the transit of any gas,” Yildiz said. He made it clear that he regarded Iranian gas as an important energy source for a number of energy projects, including for the Nabucco gas pipeline.
Previously the United States expressed concern on many occasions over close relations between Iran and Turkey, which, aside from other things, is the key partner of the United States in that region within the framework of NATO. According to official statements, however, Ankara rules out a possibility of giving up its strategic cooperation with Iran in favour of supporting American interests.
