Turkey delaying gas pipeline repair for unknown reasons: Zanganeh

Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says he is unaware why Turkey has been delaying repair work on an Iranian gas pipeline that was blown up in late March.

“I don’t know for what reason the repair has been delayed,” said Zanganeh, adding that such repair works usually takes several days to complete.

The comments come against then backdrop of reports suggesting that Turkey is deliberately delaying the repairs on the gas pipeline that was blown up on March 31. Those report say Ankara is trying to get a price reduction from Iran while it also seeks to appease the United States which pressures other countries to halt energy trade with Iran.

Zanganeh said that Turkey has also refused to allow Iran to carry out the repair work on then gas pipeline.

“We declared that we are ready to repair this pipeline for them but the Turks did not welcome this proposal,” he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Monday, Zanganeh said Iran has finalized a new contract with neighboring Iraq to export natural gas to the southern port of Basra.

He rejected reports that the pipeline to Basra would finally transfer Iran’s gas to the Syrian city of Latakia, saying Iran has currently no plan to launch gas exports to Syria.

SS