Visiting British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said on Tuesday in Ankara that Britain wants its 15 soldiers captured by Iran to be returned as soon as possible.

Beckett, who arrived in Ankara on Monday for a working visit, made the remarks at a news conference after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Britain wants the dispute over Iran's detention of British sailors and marines to be solved swiftly and peacefully, stressed Beckett, adding that the detained soldiers are in good condition.

Stating that her country has demanded that the detained soldiers should meet British representatives in Iran, Beckett said, "first, we continue to call for not just their safe but speedy return and second, we continue to seek consular access to them for our diplomats."

"We will continue to leave the door open for a constructive outcome of these difficulties between Iran and the United Kingdom. But I think it is clear that is in everyone's interest for this matter to be speedily and peacefully resolved," she emphasized.

Noting that the Iranian government has not told Britain where the sailors and marines are being held, Beckett reiterated that the soldiers had been operating in Iraqi waters in support of the government of Iraq.

She also rejected suggestions by Iranian officials that the 15 soldiers could face espionage charges.

For his part, Gul said, "Turkey is exerting efforts to resolve this incident peacefully in the shortest possible time."

The British soldiers were seized last week near the Shatt al Arab waterway between Iraq and Iran.

Iran has insisted that the British boats made a blatant " incursion" into Iranian territorial waters.

However, the British authorities said that the incident took place when the British soldiers were engaged in routine boarding operations in Iraqi territorial waters in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1723 and the Iraqi government.

Source: Xinhua