Turkey considers the current prices for Azerbaijani gas unacceptable and is going to purchase gas at a new agreed price, Taner Yildiz, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister, stated at a press conference in Ankara, reports Anadolu.

“On April 15, 2008, we stopped purchasing natural gas from Azerbaijan at an unacceptable price. We are going to purchase gas at an agreed price. We believe that the current gas prices will not remain unchanged long,” Yildiz said.

The Minister stated that Turkey will soon be ready for a higher price for gas imported from Azerbaijan as the new price was included in the accounts.

Such a price has been fixed, which would be in interests of both Turkey and Azerbaijan, the Minister said.

Speaking of the Shah Deniz project, Yildiz said that Turkey has no problems with Azerbaijan. “During our talks with our Azeri partners we stated that the price for gas from this gas field was acceptable to both the sides. We seem to have understood each other,” Yildiz said.

The Minister also reported that Turkey has to start generating nuclear power. The year 2010 will be a year of nuclear power development in the country, Yildiz said.

On January 13, Russia and Turkey agreed to cooperate in constructing the first nuclear power plant (NPP) in Turkey. A relevant document was signed as a result of the Turkish Premier’s visit to Moscow.

In September 2008, Turkey announced a contest for NPP construction on the Mediterranean coast. A Russian-Turkish consortium won the contest, but the Turkish side invalidated the results.

T.P.