Turkish Forum

Tag: nuclear talks

  • ‘Turkey, Brazil will not attend P5+1 talks’

    ‘Turkey, Brazil will not attend P5+1 talks’

    Senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi says Turkey and Brazil will not be present in Iran’s multifaceted talks with major world powers.

    Head of the Parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi
    Head of the Parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi

    On October 14, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton expressed the West’s readiness to return to negotiations and proposed three-day talks with Iran in mid-November in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

    Dialogue between Iran and the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany — has been stalled since October 1, 2009, when the two sides met in Geneva.

    Iran on Tuesday announced that its multifaceted talks with the P5+1 would restart on December 6 in Switzerland.

    “We will have two rounds of talks with the West; one is talks with the P5+1 and the other is negotiations with the Vienna Group — France, Russia, the US, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — about fuel for the Tehran reactor,” head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission told Khabar Online on Sunday.

    Tehran has stressed that it would negotiate the issue of a nuclear fuel swap with the Vienna group within the framework of the Tehran declaration, and its talks with the P5+1 would not include nuclear issue.

    “Regarding negotiations with the Vienna Group based on the Tehran declaration, the three countries (Iran, Turkey and Brazil) wrote a letter to IAEA chief [Yukiya Amano] and stressed that all three countries would be present in talks,” Boroujerdi said.

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

    Boroujerdi refrained from giving his opinion about the result of negotiations and said the US has lost the political struggle.

    “When the foreign ministers of the European countries were in Tehran they explicitly said that we (Iran) are not allowed to use two centrifuge machines but today we have crossed all these borders,” he added.

    The US and its allies used their influence on the UN Security Council to press for fresh sanctions against Iran over the country’s nuclear program which they claim is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

    Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the accusations, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, Tehran has the right to use peaceful nuclear technology.

    MYA/HGH/MMN

  • US Warned Turkey Not to Publicly Question Allegations on Iran

    US Warned Turkey Not to Publicly Question Allegations on Iran

    Recep Tayyip ErdoganIn late 2009 the Obama Administration, it was revealed today, privately warned the Turkish government not to criticize unsubstantiated allegations against Iran’s civilian nuclear program, in particular warning that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments made Turkey “vulnerable to international community criticism.

    The documents, revealed today as part of the WikiLeaks Cablegate release, centered around Prime Minister Erdogan’s criticism of Obama’s allegations as “gossip,” and advised top Erdogan aides and Turkish President Gul to “rein in” the prime minister.

    Another document expressed concern at Turkey’s interest in a working relationship with Iran, saying Turkey was missing an opportunity to weaken the Iranian government by not condemning the 2009 election and saying Turkey was motivated by a desire to avoid a region-wide war.

    Though US officials have repeatedly accused Iran of making nuclear weapons they have never provided evidence of this assertion, and the IAEA has continually verified the non-diversion of Iran’s nuclear material.

    Interestingly, the US mocked Turkey’s claims of “influence” with Iran by saying Turkey was unable to even convince Iran to sign the third party enrichment deal sought by the P5+1. Just months after the cable Turkey did succeed in getting Iran to sign the deal, sparking public US condemnation of Turkey and a refusal by the US to complete the proposed deal.

    via US Warned Turkey Not to Publicly Question Allegations on Iran — News from Antiwar.com.

  • Iran rejected Turkey’s support

    Iran rejected Turkey’s support

    “Iran annulled Istanbul long ago”, “Iran rejected negotiations in Istanbul”…These and similar stories appear in Turkish media to describe fresh disposition of official Tehran.

    Tehran rejected the idea to hold nuclear project related negotiations in Istanbul by the UN 5 permanent representatives (USA, Russia, France, England, China) and Germany. It was expedient to hold those negotiations in Geneva on December 5.

    Turkish “Radikal” writes that on behalf of UN Security Council Katherine Ashton, EU foreign affairs commissioner, will hold negotiations with Iran.

    Except of Uranium enrichment project, the Iranian side is supposed to bring into agenda issues related to the regional security and Israeli’s nuclear weapon.

    Source: Panorama.am

  • US: We’re Open To Turkey Being Location Of A Follow-Up Meeting Between Iran & West

    US: We’re Open To Turkey Being Location Of A Follow-Up Meeting Between Iran & West

    p51U.S. State Department’s spokesman Philip Crowley said that the United States was open to Turkey being the possible location of a follow-up meeting between Iran and the western world.

    Upon a question about the meetings between Iran and 5+1 countries on Iran’s nuclear program, Crowley said, “we are open to Turkey being the possible location of a follow-up meeting. So we have no objections to Turkey playing a role in this process.”

    “We are still waiting for a response by Iran to the invitation of Catherine Ashton, the European High Representative, to meet on December 5th,” said Crowley.

    “Iran has not yet affirmed that date or a location. I believe Catherine Ashton has suggested that the first meeting should take place in a more central location in Europe, perhaps Austria or Switzerland. But we have indicated that we are open to Turkey being the possible location of a follow-up meeting. So we have no objections to Turkey playing a role in this process, but it’s our view, as shared by others, that the first meeting should be in either Switzerland or Austria,” said Crowley.

    AA

  • 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.

  • 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