A delegation of Turkish customs officials left Tehran on Sunday morning after they failed to reach a deal with the Iranian side to resolve a months-long dispute over the transit fees Iran has been charging the Turkish trucks crossing into Iran from the neighboring country, ISNA reported on Monday. “We offered a set of solutions to the Turkish delegation and they are to discuss them with top Turkish officials,” Mohammad Javad Atrchian, head of transit and terminals department of The Islamic Republic of Iran Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization said. “Meanwhile, to smooth the flow of traffic near the border, Iran will ease its sealing regulations for seven days and when this deadline expires, Iran will not compromise any more, he added.
Recently, Iran has moved to seal the fuel tanks of incoming Turkish trucks near the border area in an attempt to stop Turkish drivers from filling tanks with cheap fuel inside the Iranian mainland.
The dispute was triggered on October 10, when, in a retaliatory attempt, Turkish customs started charging Iranian trucks $31 for every 100 kilometer drive into the Turkish territory.
Iranian officials argue that they charge the fee because fuel in Iran is much cheaper for Turkish trucks that would fill their tanks and transfer the cheap fuel to their country.
Sealing fuel tanks of Turkish trucks upon enter to Iran was the most recent agreement reached between officials of the two countries.
However, lack of the required facilities to quickly implement the plan coupled with the unfamiliarity of the drivers with the new rule created long queues of Turkish trucks, stretching back as far as 20-kilometers, on the Iranian border waiting to have their tanks sealed before entering the Iranian territory.
To solve the problem, Turkish and Iranian officials have held several meetings in Tehran over the past few days but negotiations were not concluded, and the Turkish delegation left Tehran on Sunday.
