Iran says gas exports to Turkey to restart in 3 days

An Iranian gas industry official says Iran will resume exporting gas to Turkey after a short disruption in the gas flow due to a suspected sabotage attack, which hit Iran-Turkey gas pipeline on Turkish soil.

Yadollah Baybordi, director of Gas Transmission Operation District 8 at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), was quoted by Iranian media as saying on Tuesday that the pipeline will become operational again in a few days.

“Gas Transmission Operation District 8 is ready to cooperate [with Turkish technicians] to solve the problem that has affected Iran-Turkey gas exports pipeline,” he added.

Baybordi stated that according to Turkish officials, the pipeline will become operational within the next three days.

He said the pipeline taking Iran's gas to Turkey is operated by BOTAŞ company on the Turkish side, which is currently repairing the damaged section of the pipeline.

According to Anadolu news agency, quoting Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız as saying in a statement late on Monday, the explosion hit the Iran-Turkey natural gas pipeline in the eastern Turkish province of Ağrı.

The statement added that the suspected sabotage attack took place in the  Doğubeyazıt district, some 15 kilometers from the border with Iran.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but some local media said the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was behind the attack.

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