Iranian official: Export natural gas to Turkey rather than Iraq

The secretary of the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters Union has proposed replacement of Iraq with Turkey as the destination for Iranian natural gas exports.

“Instead of exporting natural gas to Iraq and not being able to get its money, we can export the gas to other destinations like Turkey,” Hamid Hosseini said in an interview with ILNA, the Iranian Labor News Agency.

“I have not information on the process of natural gas export to the country [Iraq] after it was reduced due to non-payment of debts, but past experience has shown that we should insist on our claims after exports to this country.”

Hosseini added that Iraqis will continue to hesitate about payment of their debt if Iran ever tries to compromise with them.

“We should not worry about extension of contracts with this country because they have no source to supply them with natural gas other than Iran… Currently, Ankara is ready to import [our] natural gas during summer with a higher price,” he said.

The official noted that Iran is under no obligation to export to Iraq while it keeps ignoring payment of its debts.

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