The energy ministry is to allow firms to import 700,000tonnes of petroleum products to help meet demand, the agency said.

It was quoting a statement from the crisis management centreset up after the earthquake, which struck on Tuesday and which has killed at least 12,000 people in Turkey's industrial heartland.

"A shortage of 350,000 tonnes of petroleum products isexpected during the months the refinery is out of work," the statement said.

"In order not to have shortage in demand, companies will beallowed to import 700,000 tonnes of fuel products," it added.

It was not clear from the statement over how long a periodthe shortage would be and imports be allowed.

Several naphtha and crude oil tanks at state Tupras's Yarimca refinery, located in Izmit, caught fireafter the earthquake caused a chimney to collapse on a crude oil tank. The fire was extinguished completely on Saturday.

Turkey's state Petrol Ofisi and several other oilcompanies have already sought imports of gas oil, jet fuel and gasoline from international markets.

Tupras's four refineries meet 86 percent of Turkey'spetroleum products needs. The rest is met by Atas refinery in southern Turkey that belongs to BP Amoco and Shell.

The 226,000 barrels per day (bpd) Yarimca plant is thelargest of the four refineries belonging to Turkey's state Tupras.

The statement said Tupras's western Izmir refinery wasworking at full capacity and the other refineries in central Turkish Kirikkale and eastern Batman towns were operating at almost 90 percent of their capacities.