PM Erdogan meets with Ahmedinejad in Tehran

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said he believes that the motive behind Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and humanitarian. Erdogan's remarks to reporters during an official visit to Iran followed talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi. Iran denies it is trying to develop nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful energy needs. Erdogan said he had discussed the nuclear controversy during his talks with Iranian officials, adding that Iran showed its sincerity during talks in Geneva with Western powers, in an apparent reference to Iran's promise to give International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors access to a newly disclosed nuclear enrichment plant near the city of Qom. Erdogan said Iran had already voiced willingness to cooperate with both Russia and the US on nuclear enrichment. "Consequently, a positive response to this positive approach by Iran will improve the process towards a much more positive direction," he said. "Let's work on establishing a joint consensus and approach the process within its framework. This is an exercise on nuclear energy; it is an exercise with peaceful and humanitarian goals." Earlier this week Erdogan criticized what he called unfair treatment of Iran's nuclear program, calling for an impartial and consistent international approach on nuclear weapons and countries with nuclear arsenals. Erdogan previously said Turkey was ready to mediate between Iran and major world powers on Iran's nuclear program to solve the issue through diplomacy and peaceful means. Erdogan also said he had the opportunity to discuss counter-terrorism measures with top Iranian officials, calling his meetings with Ahmadinejad and Rahimi "fruitful." Meeting with Erdogan, Ahmadinejad reportedly called for the strengthening of bilateral ties, saying that the more regional countries expand their ties, the better they can end their problems. "Iranian-Turkish cooperation would benefit both countries, the region and the whole Islamic world," he said. Rahimi reportedly told Erdogan that there is a "golden opportunity" to expand bilateral ties.