Deliveries of Iranian gas to Turkey have begun after several delays, the Turkish energy ministry said on Tuesday, December 11.
"Deliveries began at 1830 GMT on Monday. According to an accord with Iran, Turkey will purchase three billion cubic meters of gas the first year," the ministry said in a statement. That amount is to rise to four billion cubic meters one year from now, and to 10 billion beginning in 2007.
Gas shipments from the Iranian port of Tabriz were to begin on July 30, but Turkey had said then that a post to evaluate the quantities being delivered was not ready.
Iran and Turkey signed a gas contract in August 1996 worth $20 billion (22 billion euros) over a 22-year period. Deliveries were originally to have begun in 1999, but construction on a Turkish gas terminal held up the process, and in January 2000 both sides agreed to push back the starting date to July 2001 and extend the accord to 25 years. — (AFP, Ankara)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
