Iran warns Turkey over natural gas re-export

Iran has been exporting gas to Turkey since 2001 under a $23 billion agreement signed in 1996. Tehran has been slow to develop other gas export markets.

"Based on the agreement, Turkey has no legal right to export Iran's gas to other countries," said Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh, the students' news agency ISNA reported.

Earlier this month Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited NATO member Turkey, one of the few nations in the region to enjoy cordial ties with arch foes Israel and Iran.

Israeli officials said an Israeli-Turkish agreement to build a pipeline to carry oil, natural gas, water and fiber optic cables would be among the issues discussed during the visit.

Iran's daily exports of 27 million cubic meters of gas make up around one third of Turkey's total imports. Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves after Russia with 21 trillion cubic meters.

In January, Iran briefly cut off gas exports to Turkey as the Iranian government struggled with a surge in domestic use during a stretch of cold weather.

Like Washington, Israel accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons and of fuelling instability in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. Iran denies the charges. Reuters