Turkish Forum

Category: Iran

  • Official: Iran, West agree on timing of nuke talks

    Official: Iran, West agree on timing of nuke talks

    The Associated Press

    Tuesday, November 16, 2010; 3:55 AM

    TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman says the country has agreed with the West on the timing of talks about Tehran’s nuclear program.

    Ramin Mehmanparast’s announcement Tuesday follows a letter to Iran last week in which EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, suggested the meeting be held in Vienna or Switzerland on Dec. 5.

    Ashton rejected Tehran’s preference for a meeting in Istanbul, where Iran would have Turkish allies on the sidelines. She said she had discussed the matter with the six-nation group of negotiators – the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

    Mehmanparast said, “I think we have reached an agreement on the time” but gave no date or details.

    The West suspects Iran seeks to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the charge.

    via Official: Iran, West agree on timing of nuke talks.

  • Greece frets over Turkey’s ties to Iran

    Greece frets over Turkey’s ties to Iran

    Ankara’s NATO role questioned

    By Ben Birnbaum

    modi118Turkey’s growing ties to Iran and opposition to NATO missile defenses targeting Tehran are raising “many doubts about Turkey’s future” among officials in the alliance, Greece’s No. 2 defense official says.

    “I’m a bit pessimistic about the Turkish future,” Greek Deputy Defense Minister Panagiotis A. Beglitis said in an interview with The Washington Times. Mr. Beglitis was in Washington on Thursday for meetings with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and other Pentagon officials.

    Mr. Beglitis said Turkey’s government recently “objected to mentioning Iran as a potential threat in a NATO text concerning” missile-defense doctrine.

    “Also, they objected very, very recently to [the Security Council] of the United Nations concerning sanctions against Iran. They voted against sanctions. That’s the reality. We have to pay attention to that,” he said.

    Mr. Beglitis said he does not know what the future holds for Turkey’s place within NATO, but he said Greece “share[s] the same concerns with many, many colleagues within the alliance.”

    Greek Deputy Defense Minister Panagiotis A. Beglitis says he is concerned about the Turkish government’s growing ties with Iran. In an interview Thursday, he said it may have an impact on the NATO alliance. (Associated Press)”I can tell you I would not be surprised to see a Turkey outside of the Western institutions and playing an autonomous strategic role in the whole region.”

    Turkish officials declined to comment on Mr. Beglitis’ statements.

    Turkey also had a strong alliance with Israel until December 2008, when Israel launched its 22-day war against Hamas in Gaza. Relations further deteriorated after May 31, when nine Turkish nationals were killed in a confrontation with Israeli commandos aboard a ship seeking to run Israel’s blockade of the territory.

    Turkey has demanded an apology from Israel for the deaths. Israel has refused.

    Greece, a historical rival of Turkey, meanwhile, has been developing closer ties to Israel.

    via Greece frets over Turkey’s ties to Iran.

  • Iran detains 5 lawyers on security charges

    Iran detains 5 lawyers on security charges

    TEHRAN (Reuters) – Five lawyers have been arrested in Iran for security-related offences, a local news agency said on Sunday, the latest in a series of arrests of human rights’ activists since last year’s disputed presidential election.

    Tehran general prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said three of the lawyers were arrested when they returned from a trip to Turkey, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

    “Two other lawyers related to the three were also detained in Iran,” the prosecutor told Fars.

    “They have been detained for committing security-related offences and violating the Islamic Republic’s moral standards outside Iran,” he said, without elaborating on the charges.

    Sara Sabaghian, Maryam Kian-Ersi and Maryam Karbasi were arrested at Tehran’s International Imam Khomeini Airport on Saturday, the Sharq newspaper reported.

    Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi’s website said the “whereabouts of the three women lawyers are unknown.”

    “The three were arrested by security forces … Sabaghian is a member of a committee for defending rights of women and children. She was once detained on July 8,” the opposition website Kaleme reported, without giving a source.

    Sabaghian also represented Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, a blogger, who is serving a 15-year jail term and was detained after the presidential election, which the opposition says was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election.

    via Iran detains 5 lawyers on security charges – report | World | Reuters.

  • Turkey questions P5+1 objection

    Turkey questions P5+1 objection

    Ankara’s envoy to Tehran says the world’s major powers should explain the reason for their objection to Turkey hosting the multifaceted talks between Iran the P5+1.

    Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Umit Yardim
    Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Umit Yardim

    On October 14, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton proposed three-day talks to be held in mid-November in the Austrian capital of Vienna, expressing hope that Tehran would “respond positively” to the offer.

    Iran’s proposed date and venue for talks with the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany — were announced last week in a letter sent by Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili to his counterpart Catherine Ashton.

    Ashton accepted Iran’s proposed date for talks, but suggested Vienna or Switzerland as the venue for the first meeting.

    “P5+1 officials should answer why they have objected to Istanbul hosting negotiations between Iran and the P5+1,” Umit Yardim told IRNA on Sunday.

    “Of course where negotiations are held is not important, the key point is conducting the talks,” Yardim added.

    “Turkey supports finding a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear issue,” the Turkish envoy concluded.

    Iran has announced that it will negotiate the issue of a nuclear fuel swap with the Vienna group — France, Russia, the US, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — within the framework of the Tehran declaration, and that its multifaceted talks with the P5+1 will not include the nuclear issue.

    Iran signed a declaration with Turkey and Brazil on May 17 based on which Tehran agreed to exchange 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium on Turkish soil with nuclear fuel.

    The US and its allies, however, snubbed the declaration and used their influence on the UN Security Council to press for fresh sanctions against the Islamic Republic over the allegation that Tehran might pursue a military nuclear program.

    Iranian officials refute US allegations and stress that Tehran has always been interested in the peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

    MYA/HGH/MMN

  • “Infinite Territory” weighs Persian cultural influence over Anatolia

    “Infinite Territory” weighs Persian cultural influence over Anatolia

    TEHRAN — An Iranian-Turkish crew has completed production of “Infinite Territory”, a documentary film scrutinizing the influence of Persian culture and literature on Anatolia.

    The documentary has been produced in six 20-minute episodes by Iranian filmmaker Gholamreza Siami for IRIB’s international TV network Sahar.

    The film provides clues as to how Persian culture and language have had an effect on various fields including architecture, literature, and scientific studies in the region, the Sahar Public Relations Office announced in a press release on Sunday.

    Many scholars, translators, authors, publishers, historians, and architects were interviewed for production of the documentary.

    It also studies the effects of Persian poet and mystic Molavi Jalal-ad-Din Rumi, whose tomb is located in Konya in southern Turkey.

    The crew toured the Turkish cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Konya, Mardin, Diyarbakir, and Sanliurfa for production of the film.

    In addition, they made journeys to the ancient Turkish sites of Cappadocia, Midyat, and Mount Nemrut to gather information for the film.

    Turkish translator Veysel Basci, who has rendered a number of works on Persian modern and classic literature, was an advisor to the project.

    A cameraman, his assistant and a production manager were hired in Turkey.

    via tehran times : “Infinite Territory” weighs Persian cultural influence over Anatolia.

  • ‘Iran, Turkey can be flag bearers of nuclear disarmament’

    ‘Iran, Turkey can be flag bearers of nuclear disarmament’

    ‘Iran, Turkey can be flag bearers of nuclear disarmament’

    Tehran Times Political Desk

    TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says that Iran and Turkey enjoy the potential to be the flag bearers of nuclear disarmament in the world.

    Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with Head of Turkish parliament’s Commission for Foreign Relations Murad Marjan in Tehran on Wednesday.

    “Iran and Turkey can be the flag bearers of nuclear disarmament in the world so that we can have a world free of nuclear weapons,” Mottaki added.

    He also said that Turkey has turned into one of the most influential countries in the region.

    As two important regional countries, Iran and Turkey can make major moves through cooperation with each other, Mottaki noted.

    Marjan, for his part, said that Iran and Turkey share many affinities and must further their cooperation.

    The Turkish MP also expressed his country’s support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear activities and highlighted the importance of international nuclear disarmament.

    ‘Iran, Turkey can develop exemplary ties’

    In another meeting, Marjan held talks with Iranian First Vice-President Mohammadreza Rahimi late on Wednesady.

    In the meeting, Rahimi said that Iran and Turkey enjoy the potential to develop “exemplary” relations in the region and the world.

    Tehran-Ankara relations are now at the highest level and increased parliamentary cooperation between the two countries would positively affect political and economic ties, he added.

    Marjan, for his part, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran plays a significant role in promoting peace and security in the Middle East.

    “All the regional countries must make attempts to improve and establish security and peace in the region,” the Turkish MP noted.

    He also said that the Turkish parliament will do its best to increase relations between the two neighbors.

    Marjan also held separate talks with Majlis Foreign Policy and National Security Committee Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi and Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani.