TEHRAN (ISNA)- Turkey will take at least the same 5 million tonnes (100,000 barrel per day) of Iranian crude in 2014 that it is taking this year, as any more cuts in the volumes from Iran would "threaten" its economy, the Turkish energy minister said.
Turkey is also importing 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year from Iran and would buy more if it was available, Taner Yildiz said in a briefing during the World Energy Congress in South Korea.
"Now we are importing about 5 million tones and if we (reduce more) than that, then that would threaten our energy supply security," Reuters quoted him as saying.
Turkey's energy demand doubled in the last ten years and will double again in the next ten, he said.
Turkey is also ready to take more Iraqi gas to help meet its energy needs if Iraq increases its gas output, he said.
The United States in June renewed six-month waivers on Iran sanctions for Turkey and eight other economies in exchange for their agreeing to reduce purchases of oil from Iran.
By ISNA
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