Almost half of Turkey's oil needs supplied by Iran

Turkey has supplied 45% of its oil needs in July from Iran, a report said. According to a report by the Turkish Energy Market Regulation Board (EPDK), Turkey imported 2.9 million tons of oil from 22 countries in July 2011, and the highest amount has been supplied from Iran. Turkey imported 1.3 million tons of oil from Iran which was followed by Iraq with 340,869 tons. India ranked the third with 298,847 tons. According to the report, Iran met 45%, Iraq met 12%, India met 10% and Italy met 8% of Turkey's oil need in July. Meanwhile, Turkey exported 531,281 tons of oil in July 2011, the report said. Iran and Turkey are major energy partners. Iran exported a daily average of more than 30 million cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey in 2010, which increased around 7 percent in the first half of 2011. According to the report of The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Iran's gas export to neighboring Turkey climbed by 50 percent in 2010 compared to the previous year, and by 100 percent in comparison with the 2008 figures. Turkey does not have sizeable domestic gas production but it is an important natural gas transit country. Iran is Turkey's second largest supplier of natural gas after Russia.