Turkey stops Turkmen gas flow through Iran after US intervention
The energy minister cited OFAC involvement and a February conflict with Tehran as reasons for the halt.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
Turkey has ceased importing gas from Turkmenistan via Iranian territory.
Ankara originally signed a deal in March 2025 to receive 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas annually. The arrangement relied on Iranian infrastructure and granted Turkish importer Botas a licence valid until 2033. Ashgabat cut off the supply in October 2025, citing a lack of agreement on volume and price terms.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar disclosed the true cause of the halt during a briefing with journalists on Thursday. He stated that the United States pressured Turkey to stop the flow. Bayraktar explained that while Ankara was not making direct payments to Iran, the situation escalated due to the US-Iran war that began in February. "Then we stopped because OFAC, (US Office of Foreign Assets Control), somehow involved in this," he said. "And although we were not paying anything to Iran, the situation escalated between Iran and the US, that is flowing south now."
The halt leaves Turkey with spare capacity in the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline. Bayraktar noted that the country could easily double its gas exports to Europe. He argued that Turkmenistan's abundant reserves could serve as a viable alternative to Azerbaijani gas, which is slowly depleting.
Building a direct pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan remains difficult due to disputes over exclusive economic zones in the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile, Turkey's existing gas contracts with Iran expire this month. It is unclear whether Ankara intends to renew them as US sanctions targeting Iran's financial sector and businesses intensify.
