Turkey, Iran discuss IAEA proposal on uranium

Turkish and Iranian officials discussed Iran's nuclear program on the sidelines of an economic summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul this week, focusing on a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposal that Iran ship its enriched uranium to Turkey. Iranian reports said that Tehran rejected the offer, made by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei last week. But in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the prospects were positive. "We have taken up the issue both during the (October) visit of our prime minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and meetings held on Sunday," Davutoglu told reporters yesterday. "We are in a very constructive position with both the IAEA and Iran." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Istanbul on Sunday to attend yesterday's OIC summit. Ahmadinejad had talks with both Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul on Sunday evening but no statement was made after any of the meetings. Officials confirmed, however, that Iran's nuclear program was one of the issues discussed. ElBaradei has said that Iran's enriched uranium could be transferred to Turkey until Russia provides Tehran with high-enriched uranium. Tehran has yet to give a full, official reply on the proposal, drafted three weeks ago after consultations with Iran, France, Russia and the US, although Iranian reports said Tehran rejected the offer. Turkish officials said Ankara was ready to contribute to efforts to help the resolution of Iran's nuclear controversy peacefully, although they say Turkey has not received any formal proposal to help with ElBaradei's offer.