Davutoglu urges Iran to help ease nuclear tension

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Tehran yesterday on a one-day key visit to help defuse rising tension between Iran and major Western powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Tension soared last week when Iran announced it had started work to make higher-grade uranium, ostensibly for cancer treatment. Denying that its nuclear program has military aims, Tehran says the enrichment started under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This step followed a failure to reach terms for a proposed nuclear swap with the major powers, under which Iran would send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad in return for nuclear fuel, and provoked a renewed Western push for tougher sanctions. Speaking at a joint press conference after meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki, Davutoglu said Turkey places great importance on keeping diplomatic channels open on the nuclear issue. Stating that they had a sincere exchange of views on the issue, Davutoglu said, "Turkey wants the Middle East to become a region of stability, not tension. We expect Iran to make positive contributions to this end. Iran's positive contributions carry great importance for peace and stability in the region." For his part, Mottaki reiterated his country's position that Iran's nuclear program is both peaceful and legal. Calling Turkey part of the continuing negotiation process over the program, Mottaki said Ankara would play a key role in that process in the months to come. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast recently called for friendly countries, including Turkey, to help convince the West of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.