Turkey says it has sufficient supplies to make up for loss of Iranian natural gas

Iran announced Wednesday that it had cut the flow of natural gas to Turkey to meet increasing winter demand at home.

"There is no problem," Energy Minister Hilmi Guler told journalists. "Our citizens won't freeze this winter."

Iran is Turkey's second largest supplier of natural gas after Russia. Turkey also imports liquefied natural gas from Nigeria and Algeria.

Guler said Turkey was making up for the cut in Iranian gas with supplies from Russia and liquefied gas imports. It was not clear when Iran would start resupplying gas.

Turkey has been importing natural gas from Iran through a 2,580-kilometer (1,600-mile) pipeline since 2001. Turkey's state pipeline company, Botas, has said Turkey imports 20-22 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from Iran.

Earlier this year, Iran promised not to reduce gas supplies to Turkey after Tehran reduced the flow of natural gas last year during a cold snap. The Associated Press

/The International Herald Tribune/