Iranian natural gas exports to Turkey have been halted for the third time this year.
Shana, the Iranian gas, oil and energy news agency, reports that Turkish authorities requested the halt in gas flow over the border.
A spokesman for Iran’s Natural Gas Company, Majid Boujarzadeh, said gas exports were stopped on Thursday night, adding: "The Turkish company BOTAŞ has said it made the request in order to examine gas pipelines and fix possible defects."
No date for the resumption of gas flow has been announced yet.
In August, gas exports to Turkey were halted twice due to terrorist bombings of the pipelines. In early August, when gas flow was halted for a day, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry blamed the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), a dissident group that claims it fights for the rights of Kurds in Iran. Later the ministry announced that seven PJAK members were killed or arrested in connection with the incident.
Later in August, another explosion interrupted gas flow to Turkey for a day.
According to an agreement signed in 1996, Iran will provide 10 billion cubic metres of gas to Turkey each year for 25 years.
