Iran suggests Turkey as venue for nuclear talks with major powers
Iranian FM says Tehran informed Ankara that it is willing to hold talks with the P5+1 group in Turkey, says consultations are under way and are on the right track.
By Reuters
Iran could return to talks with major world powers concerned about its nuclear program “as soon as possible”, its foreign minister said on Sunday, suggesting Turkey as a possible venue.
Manouchehr Mottaki gave Tehran’s most positive sign so far that it is willing to resume the negotiations which stalled more than a year ago, leading to tightened international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Sarajevo, Bosnia, April 26, 2010 |
| Photo by: AP |
The P5+1 group – the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany – had proposed holding talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Nov. 15-17 in Vienna, an approach welcomed by Iran but never formally agreed to.
“Consultations are under way, they are on the right track,” Mottaki told a news conference.
“We are hopeful that the time and the agenda and content of the talks will soon be agreed upon by both parties and that both parties will start the talks as soon as possible.”
As an alternative venue to Vienna, the home of the UN nuclear agency, he suggested neighbor Turkey.
“We have told our Turkish friends that we are in agreement with regard to holding these talks in Turkey,” he said.
Muslim Turkey, which has deepened commercial and energy ties with its neighbor, says it is willing to mediate between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and has offered in the past to host talks.
Along with Brazil, Turkey brokered a nuclear fuel swap deal with Tehran earlier this year – an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to avoid the new sanctions on Iran agreed by the Security Council in June.
Both countries voted against the sanctions and have said diplomacy is needed to solve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear enrichment which produces material that could be further processed for military use.
Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons.
As the Nov. 15 date approached, Iran has sent mixed signals about the talks. Last week, a close aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said even if Iran did agree to the talks it would not negotiate about its nuclear program – the central issue for the P5+1 group.
Ahmadinejad has also asked the P5+1 countries parties to declare their opinion on Israel’s alleged nuclear arsenal.
Israel says a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten its very existence and does not rule out striking Iran militarily to stop that happening.
WarSclerotic 
November 7, 2010 at 10:05 PM
how to gain time…
November 8, 2010 at 7:13 PM
IF TURKEY IS GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THESE TALKS THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FAVOR THE ALTERNATIVE FOR FAILURE TO REACH A DISARMOURMENT AGREEMENT AS WELL AS THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGREEMENT THAT IS STILL UNANSWERED BY IRAN,SYRIA AND NORTH KOREAN INFLUENCES IN BOTH IRANIAN AND SYRIAN TERRITORIES. WITHOUT DETERMINING THE ACTIONS TAKEN IF THESE AAGREEMENTS FAIL THE ONLY DECISION LEFT SHOULD BE A FULMILITARY DESTRUCTIONA S WELL AS NUCLEAR CAPACITY ELEIMINATION. ANY MISSILE INSTALLATIONS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED OR ADDRESSED UNTIL A NEW GOVERNMENT IS INSTALLED IN BOTH NATIONS AND ALL NEGOTIATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA SHOULD BE ADDRESSED SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED IN S.E. ASIAN AFFAIRS WHEN THEY MEET TO AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL PROLIFERATION ISSUES.