Turkey re-stresses diplomatic means to solve Iran's nuclear issue

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday reiterated that Iran's nuclear issue should be solved through diplomatic means.

Erdogan made the statements at a meeting with visiting Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, according to the semi- official Anatolia news agency.

The Turkish prime minister also said that Iran had the right to peaceful nuclear technology, but urged for transparency of the Iranian nuclear program in a bid to appease international concerns.

"Iran has the right to have nuclear energy for peaceful objectives, so does every country. But it should be transparent," Erdogan was quoted by Anatolia as saying.

Erdogan told Larijani that there should be a transparent cooperation to eliminate concerns of the international community regarding its nuclear issue, said the report.

Last week, Erdogan conveyed the same message to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when the two leaders met in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku on the sidelines of a regional summit.

"Turkey believes that no one can object to nuclear technology for peaceful, humanitarian aims," Erdogan told Ahmadinejad. "But, of course, no country in the world will approve the proliferation of nuclear weapons."

Larijani, on his part, said during the talks that Iran was in favor of diplomatic solutions to its nuclear issue, noting that the Islamic Republic only wanted to have nuclear energy for peaceful objectives.

He added that Iran was exerting efforts to make its program transparent.

Larijani, who visited Turkey upon the invitation of Turkish National Security Council (MGK) Secretary General Yigit Alpogan, also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Alpogan respectively on Monday.

The top Iranian nuclear official's visit came as foreign ministers of six nations - five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany meet in New York on a draft resolution requiring Iran to freeze all uranium enrichment and reprocess activities.

Iran has been reiterating that its nuclear program is fully peaceful, but has failed to convince the Unites States and some western countries.

Source: Xinhua