Turkish Manufacturers Stop Production After Iran Cuts Gas Supplies

Some manufacturing companies in Turkey have halted production temporarily after Iran cut gas flows last week for up to 10 days due to a “technical problem.”

Companies affected include car parts maker Ege Endustri , cardboard manufacturer Kartonsan and defense and automotive parts maker Katmerciler.

Turkey is almost fully dependent on imported gas from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, which suspended gas flows to the country last Thursday, saying there was a technical fault at a pressure-boosting station in Turkey.

However, Iranian officials have been warning consumers in recent days to conserve gas, as the country cannot pump sufficient supplies when usage is highin cold or hot weather.

Ege Endustri said on Monday it will stop output at a factory until the weekend due to power cuts, and cardboard manufacturer Kartonsan said it was stopping production until further notice due to limited gas supply.

Iran said its gas exports to Turkey had resumed on Friday but a Turkish official said those supplies were lower than the required volumes. Turkey has denied that the problem was due to a fault at a pressure station on its side.

Turkish authorities have announced planned electricity and natural gas cuts to large consumers in industrial zones and electricity-generating power plants due to limited supply from Iran.

Iran provided 16% of Turkey's natural gas needs in the first 10 months of 2021, according to the latest official data.

Reporting by Reuters