ANKARA. May 4: Iranian Oil Minister Gholamreza Agha-zadeh said yesterday Iran would sell Turkey four million tonnes of crude oil this year, the same amount as in 1994. reports Reuter.

"We have decided to give Turkey four million tonnes of oil this year and this will reach a ceiling of five million tonnes," he was quoted, by Anatolian news agency as telling Aykon Dogan. Turkish State Minister Incharge of Economy, in Ankara.

Iran was Turkey's second largest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia In 1994. exporting four million tonnes of crude oil.

Aghazadeh. who Is on a three-day visit, met Turkish Energy Minister Veysel Atasoy on Tuesday and discussed a long-standing plan to supply Turkey with natural gas from Iran.

"We are planning to buy a total of eight to 10 billion cubic metres (283 billion to 353 billion cubic feet) of natural gas from Iran. The first two billion cubic metres (71 billion cubic feet) of it will come in 1998 under the project which we are trying to realise." Atasoy told Reuters on Tuesday.

Aghazadeh said his talks with Turkish officials on natural gas supplies were "very productive and we are hoping to get a conclusion tomorrow (Thursday)."

He declined to comment on an impending US trade ban on Iran. Atasoy said Aghazadeh's visit was planned months ago.

A senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Turkey would not join a US tjade em bargo on Iran and did not think Washington expected it to do so.