Turkish premier casts doubt on visit to Iran for nuclear talks
Earth Times
14-May-2010 (8 comments)

Istanbul - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that a joint trip with Brazil's president to Iran for talks on its nuclear programme is unlikely, Turkish media reported.

Turkey and Brazil have been working to create a diplomatic solution to the controversy over Iran's uranium enrichment. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to go to Tehran on Sunday for talks on a uranium exchange deal that could help Iran avoid UN sanctions.

Although Iranian media had suggested that Erdogan would also be coming, the Turkish premier said that is not the case.

"My foreign minister can go (to Iran) if necessary, or I can go as well. But at the moment I have no plans for such a trip," Erdogan said. "Because so far, Iran has not taken a step on the matter."

"We have expectations about the matter," Erdogan added, saying Turkey has asked the Iranian government to show its "determination" on the issue.

According to a plan brokered in October by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world's nuclear watchdog, Iran's low-enriched uranium was to be exported to Russia for further enrichment and then to France for processing into fuel for a Tehran medical reactor.

Tehran insists that the swap should be on Iranian soil but world powers and the Vienna-based IAEA refused to have the handover take place in Iran.

Brazil and Turkey - both temporary members of the UN Security Council - have been trying to pe... >>>

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Dear Rea

by sag koochooloo on

You have my sympathy with your family's experience. PS: love the way you keep calling me "kookooloo".   :-)


Rea

VPK

by Rea on

Hope you're right.

To explain a bit.  I was upset last night (time difference, give and take).  One of the 2 major Croatian papers had an article on Iranian refugees/asylum seekers in Turkey (and EU, another shame, grrrr). By the time I got my comment ready (with all the réfs), the IRI Embassy employees had gotten onto it. End result, the topic closed for commenting.  So, I vented my frustration here. ;o)

PS. my own family was forced into exile. Different ideology, another country, but I still feel very strongly about political asylum.


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Turkey

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

needs Iran not the IRI. They know that IRI is going. No point trying to appease that may not be there. Might as well position themselves for the next one to come. That's why they are snubbing IRI  .


Rea

kookooloo

by Rea on

Do not be mistaken.

Turkey needs the Iranian natural gas.  Even the refugees/asylum seekers are traded off.


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I hope Turkey snubs Iran and backs out of support

by sag koochooloo on

A step in the right direction. They are probably disgusted with recent events and executions. Lets hope there is some divine justice in this world.


Rea

Off topic, but

by Rea on

Have read recently about the treatment of Iranian dissidents/refugees in Turkey.  Absolutely appalling.

En cache


Darius Kadivar

Interesting diplomatic shift ...

by Darius Kadivar on

Could this be to appease the Kurds in Turkey revolted by the recent executions of their fellow Kurds in Iran ?


Sargord Pirouz

Nowhere in this article does

by Sargord Pirouz on

Nowhere in this article does the Turkish PM declare that Iranian leaders are "not serious."

They're serious all right- about their nuclear rights under the NPT.