Azerbaijan's national oil company Socar has contradicted reports it has seized 14 tankers owned by Palmali Shipping of Turkey over debts.

Turkish media claimed the vessels were confiscated, but the APA news agency cited Socar spokesman Ibrahim Ahmedov as saying it had not carried out such an action against the company or its billionaire owner Mubariz Mansimov.

There were also reports that Socar had banned Palmali vessels from its ports.