Turkey ready to pay for gas imports from Iran in any product: minister
Turkey is ready to pay for import of natural gas from Iran not only in gold, but also in any product, the Hurriyet newspaper quoted Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz as saying reporters on Thursday.
He said Turkey may pay for imports of Iranian gas in industrial and agricultural products, furniture and chemicals.
"Turkey will not refuse to import Iranian gas. There are many kinds of products with which Turkey and Iran could realize exchange. We can export even potatoes to Iran in exchange for gas," Yildiz said.
He also noted that the U.S. sanctions against Iran threaten Turkey's interests.
U.S. Senate will consider new sanctions aimed at reducing world trade with Iran in the fields of energy, shipping, and metallurgical industries. The sanctions may restrict the export and import of precious metals to Iran.
Due to international sanctions, Iran cannot get money for its gas exports to Turkey in foreign currency, therefore the country has to pay for it in gold, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said earlier.
According to the Statistics Institute of Turkey, gold exports from Turkey to Iran in the second quarter of 2012 totalled $4.8 billion compared to $1 billion in the first quarter.
Turkey imports eight million tons of oil and eight billion cubic meters of gas from Iran every year.
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