(Zaman.com) - In Tehran to help facilitate a solution to the nuclear crisis between Iran and the international community, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called on all parties to solve the problem through diplomatic means.
Gul urged all parties to act responsibly, emphasizing a diplomatic solution would help pave the way for economic development in the region. Turkeys good relations with both the Tehran and the West places it in an important position, Gul added, With this sense of responsibility, we brought the views and messages of the Turkish people and Prime Minister Erdogan. During his contacts in Tehran, Gul met with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Supreme National Security Council Secretary-General Ali Larijani, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former president Hashimi Rafsanjani respectively and discussed the nuclear issues, as well as regional matters, in particular Iraq, reports Trend.
Abdullah Gul held a joint news conference after meeting his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and said resolving the nuclear issues through diplomatic means is best for Iran, Turkey, the region and the world. We shared our views on the developments over Irans nuclear program, Minister Gul said and reiterated that Turkeys attitude on this issue is clear. Gul stated that with Turkeys good relationships with Tehran and the West, it is making every effort to solve the problem through diplomacy, and said: We believe this is best for Iran, Turkey, the region and the world. We believe a new term and excitement will ensue and that this new found excitement will increase economic development and solution to the problems of the people. We also believe the tensions will decline and a new opportunity for cooperation will emerge. For this reason, everybody should do what he has to do to ensure a diplomatic solution. As a responsible member of the international community and as a friend and neighbor of Iran, itis our aim to get the parties goes back to the negotiation table.
Asked what kind of messages he communicated to Iran, Gul said he conveyed the general opinions of Turkish foundations to the Iranian party. The Turkish Foreign Minister underlined that all parties should act responsibly in this frame and contribute to the solution process, emphasizing this will create a positive atmosphere world-wide. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also confirmed that they had a positive meeting and reviewed the mutual relations of the two country.
Mottaki said the volume of mutual trade between Turkey and Iran is about $4.5 billion and added this number may increase even further. Mottaki hopes that encouraging Turkish companies to invest in Iran and establish a common floor for cooperation will improve mutual relations. The Iranian Foreign Minister said the political, economic and cultural relations of the two countries must be developed.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Ahmadinejad said there are historical relations between Turkey and Iran in the frame of culture and religion and added that the two neighboring, brotherly and Muslim states had great potentials to raise their current level of cooperation both in the regional and international arenas.
Ahmadinejad thanked Turkey for its positive attitude regarding Irans use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and added: Maintaining the current calm atmosphere by the two sides will encourage continuation of the positive process through which they can hold more effective and fruitful negotiations for mutual understanding. Ahmadinejad reiterated Tehrans call for fair and unconditioned negotiations about the nuclear issue and added they established specialist commissions to examine the incentive package of the 5+1 Group. The Iranian President also said that these specialists will evaluate the package according to Irans national interests and announce its decision on August 22.