Two ministers came from the US and said, 'Do not buy gas from Iran'

Mehmet Recai Kutan was a former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and the chairman of the Virtue Party (Fazilet Partisi). Yavuz Donat from Sabah newspaper, who was the last person to interview Kutan, shared a section in his column today from a 15-page text titled "February 28 Notes" that Kutan gave him in 2021.

Donat emphasizes that these notes are particularly important because Kutan did not speak to any media outlets and withdrew from the public eye during the process leading up to the February 28 period.

Of course, there are contradictions between these notes and reality. For instance, according to Donat, on the 4th page of Kutan's diary, the EU is pointed to regarding February 28:

"February 28 was never a domestic project. It aimed to build a new order in Turkey that suited the interests of its partners across the Atlantic and the cadres in Tel Aviv.

The coup plotters and foreign powers were uncomfortable with the positive developments in Turkey in the political, social, economic, and cultural fields that were on a national and independent path."

However, in 1999, during a visit to the US, Kutan participated in an interview and answered a question about February 28 without mentioning the US at all: "Change is taking place in Turkey. There is a tendency for soldiers to do their soldiering and civilians to do their civilian duties. We cannot attribute February 28 entirely to the military. A portion of the commanders carried out February 28. Now the soldiers are saying, 'let us do our soldiering'."

Furthermore, the fact that US critical figures spoke of Kutan with praise because he was "against communism and well-liked by the Kurds" remains in the archives, as noted in the book 'Turkey in the 1960's and 1970's Through the Reports of American Diplomats', published by Libra Publishing and written by author Rıfat Bali, who is known for his research on Turkish Jewish history.

'THE US WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CLOSER TIES TO 4 COUNTRIES'

Closing the broad parenthesis we opened, let us return to Yavuz Donat's column; there is an interesting claim in Kutan's notes regarding the natural gas crisis experienced during the February 28 period. Let us quote the relevant part of the article exactly:

"Recai Kutan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Natural gas shortage... A major problem. Kutan... Traveling from country to country... Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan.

The country given priority... Iran.

Because... There is a natural gas pipeline that has reached Tabriz... If the Tabriz-Doğubayazıt line is laid... Which is 90 kilometers... Natural gas will come to Turkey in a short time.

At this point... While Turkey-Iran negotiations were ongoing... From the US to Ankara... To Recai Kutan... Two ministers arrive:

- Do not buy natural gas from Iran.

A suggested threat

From the American ministers to Recai Kutan:

- According to our D'Amato Act, we are taking some preventive measures against institutions that trade more than 300 million dollars a year with Iran... Therefore, we suggest that you do not buy natural gas from Iran.

'Secret' discomfort

It is all true... It is all written in detail in the article Recai Kutan gave me... Name by name.

All of it... In the state archives.

And... There is more;

October 1996... US Secretary of State Warren Christopher sends a 'SECRET' message to Ankara... To the US Ambassador.

The message... Deep discomfort over Turkey's relations with certain countries.

Which countries, you ask?

Iran... Iraq... Libya... Nigeria... Sudan."