Turkey boosts oil imports from Iran

The data was announced by Turkey's census institute. The center reported that the country's oil imports from Iran have hit a record in the 8 months before March. This is while the Turkish government had earlier promised the US that it would implement a maximum 20% decrease in oil imports from Iran to cooperate with Washington in imposing unilateral sanctions against Tehran. Meantime, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz had earlier said that Ankara is resolved to continue oil imports from Iran despite the sanctions imposed on Iranian oil by the US and the European Union. The Turkish minister said in February that his country is only committed to the decisions made by the United Nations in this regard. Turkey does not heed the recent sanctions on Iran's oil exports imposed by the US and the EU, Yildiz said. Muslim NATO member Turkey also opposed the imposition of UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic in 2010. Turkish officials have repeatedly said there is no obligation for Turkey to enforce tougher unilateral sanctions subsequently announced by the United States and European Union.