Turkey censured for Iran oil halt
A nationalist political party in Turkey has urged the government to explain the reason why it has halted oil imports from Iran, saying that the move could have been one of the main factors behind the sharp hikes in energy prices in Turkey, Press TV reports.
Uzeyir Tunc, the Great Union Party (BBP)’s general secretary, made the comments on Tuesday, having filed a lawsuit in the Council of State -- the highest administrative court in the country -- against Ankara’s move to increase energy prices.
The party has called on the Turkish government to explain the factors behind the sharp increase in the prices.
“The US ambassador [to Turkey], as you know, made an announcement and asked why does not Turkey implement this sanction [against Iran] and, just one day later, Turkey implemented the sanction, and on the same day the price hikes were imposed on Turkish nation,” Tunc added.
Asked if he believed the price increases were a result of the halt in the oil imports from Iran, Tunc stated “what is its benefit? Why the measure has been taken? The [energy] minister should give a satisfying response to the nation. If they (the price hikes) are a result of this [halt in imports from Iran], why did Turkey joined the move? What will be the benefit for Turkey? Because, as you know, relations between countries are based on [national] interests and reciprocity.”
“We used to talk of zero problem with neighbors, but we have ended up in having problems with all of them. Why we came to this point? None of us know. We don’t know what would be the results. We, as the BBP and the Turkish nation, want to know about this,” he concluded.