The explosion occurred near the town of Dogubayazit in the Agri province on Sunday.
It is not yet known what caused the blast; however, Turkish officials accused members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of blowing up the pipeline.
The governorate of the northeastern city of Agri said in a statement that PKK members “sabotaged the Dogubayazit-Van natural gas pipeline on Saturday... forcing a disruption in the flow."
This is not the first time that the gas flow from Iran to Turkey has been stopped. In earlier instances, Turkish officials cited blasts caused by the PKK members, or technical problems as the main reasons for halts.
On October 18, members of PKK detonated explosives planted at the gas pipeline between the eastern provinces of Agri and Erzurum, Turkish media reported.
Some 28 Turkish soldiers were wounded in the explosion.
The PKK has claimed responsibility for similar attacks on the pipeline in Turkey. The group has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s.
Clashes between Turkish troops and PKK fighters have intensified in recent months.
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