Iran-Turkey dispute over gas prices unlikely to affect trade ties
Despite the outstanding disagreements between Tehran and Ankara
over gas prices, Iran and Turkey appear reluctant to spoil trade
ties.
As soon as the reports regarding the International Court of
Arbitration’s verdict on gas dispute between Tehran and Ankara
appeared, a number of international and local media outlets devoted
some space for the story covering various angles, but some bias and
hasty.
Iranian conservative media that basically is after picking faults
with moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s administration raised its
voice criticizing Rouhani for the loss while a number of
international media highlighted Turkey’s win against Iran giving
the sense that the ties between the two traditional partners are
coming into conflict.
According to a deal inked in 1996 between Tehran and Ankara, Iran
is committed to provide Turkey with some 30 million cubic meters of
gas per day. Back in March 2012 Ankara filed a complaint against
Iran in the International Court of Arbitration requesting for a 25
percent price reduction. The controversy stirred up in early
February when media sources reported that the court has ruled in
favor of a 10-15 percent price discount.
Although the controversy seems to many as a sore point in the ties
of the neighboring countries, Iran-Turkey ties are here to continue
given the considerable trade turnover over the past several years
as well as $10 billion gas trade per year.
The trade turnover between the countries was $13.71 billion in 2014
and $9.76 billion in 2015.
Although the trade turnover dropped by 29 percent in 2015 compared
to the preceding year, many observers believe that the decline came
amid global economic crisis ruling out the role of the political
and economic disagreements in the decline.
Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Alireza Bikdeli has forecasted a
profitable year for Iran and Turkey describing the ties between the
neighboring countries as friendly.
“A profitable year [Iranian new year to start March 21] is coming.
The train of ties between Iran and Turkey will keep moving on the
rails of friendship,” Bikdeli wrote on his Facebook page.
On the other hand the Turkish presidential administration has told
Trend that “Tehran is Ankara’s economic partner”.
Now with the new economic and political developments in the world
including the partial removal of international sanctions against
the Islamic Republic and also the sharp decline in oil prices as
well as global financial crisis, preparing a new economic plan
including a revision of gas prices seems as a crucial step on the
path to cement economic ties between Tehran and Ankara.
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