Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Turkey's relationship with Iran goes far beyond oil - expert (JMD)


Turkey's relationship with Iran goes far beyond oil - expert

Azerbaijan, Baku, March 27 /Trend S. Isayev/


For Turkey, unlike other buyers of Iranian oil, the relationship with Iran goes far beyond oil, given their proximity, the issue of the Kurds, Turkish dependency on Iranian national gas and the fallout of potential Israeli strike against Iran, Senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, James M. Dorsey told Trend.


About two weeks ago Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz during his visit to Kuwait said that Turkey's dependence on Iranian oil supplies is greater than other European countries', so Turkey does not intend to give them up.


Yildiz noted that Turkey continues to purchase oil and natural gas from Iran, unless alternative sources are found.


"Indeed, Turkey like other countries needs to find alternative sources," Dorsey said. "I believe that the Obama administration recognizes this".


"Turkey like its position on Syria has insisted that it would only act on the basis of international legitimacy, meaning a UN Security Council resolution rather than a US-led group of countries," Dorsey noted, referring to the sanctions imposed on Iran from the West.


Dorsey underscored that Turkey is not the only country that takes that position and is unlikely to change it unforeseen circumstances excluded.


On January 23, EU Foreign Ministers met in Belgium and approved new sanctions against Iran aimed at banning member countries from importing Iranian crude oil and carrying out transactions with Islamic Republic's central bank.
Western allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.

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