Turkey plans to increase imports of Iranian natural gas, a senior Iranian official told state news agency IRNA on Monday.

NATO member Turkey is dependent on imports for almost all of its energy needs and Iran is a key gas and oil supplier. Nearly 40 percent of Turkey’s electricity is from gas-fired plants.

“Turkey has requested to purchase more Iranian natural gas from Iran,” the head of Iran’s National Gas Company (IGC), Hassan Montazer Torbati, told IRNA.

“Based on previous agreements, Iran is currently increasing gas exports to a number of countries including Turkey, Iraq, Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

The United States pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers last year and has reimposed sanctions that were lifted under the pact. Washington granted waivers to Turkey and some other countries to import Iranian oil.

Soure: Reuters