Turkey urges Iran to respond to package before G-8 FM meeting

Gul reportedly told Mottaki that all concerned sides are ready to begin negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and urged Tehran to conclude examining the package and make their decision before the G-8 meeting.

According to The New Anatolian, the Turkish foreign minister made these remarks during bilateral talks with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the 33rd Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting which began on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan with the participation of 51 of the OIC's 57 member states as well as delegates from 90 states as observers.

Gul also reportedly told Mottaki that the incentive package prepared by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, namely the U.S., Britain, China, France, Russia, plus Germany, is a last chance to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff. He also conveyed the message to Mottaki that Turkey, as a neighbor of Iran, favors a diplomatic solution to the crisis and will continue to exert efforts in line with this position.

The package presented this month to Tehran by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana includes perks and possible penalties.

It calls on Iran to suspend, rather than permanently halt, uranium enrichment as a condition for the start of talks, although the negotiations are aimed at achieving Iranian acceptance of a long-term moratorium on such activities.

Iran has called the package a "step forward," saying some of the incentives were acceptable, calling for changes in others and saying the central issue of uranium enrichment needed clarification.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called on the OIC member states to make detailed reforms to fight Islamophobia, stressing that reforms are not an issue of choice but a necessity to move forward.

In a speech to the OIC foreign ministers' meeting, Gul also underlined the necessity of being decisive for the Muslim world while opening arms to global values.

Citing decades-long regional conflicts, political problems and violence stemming from radical Islamism in the Muslim world, Gul called on all OIC member states to work in cooperation to provide peace and security. "Turkey supports the creation of a powerful Middle East which is free from tensions and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The current situation is to the benefit of no one, and Turkey will do its best to prevent the escalation of the tension to the region and to the world," Gul added.

Touting the efforts of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem, Gul called on the OIC to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, saying, "In an era where everybody is talking about globalization, our Muslim brothers, the Turkish Cypriots are still living under embargo."

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev yesterday urged OIC member states to block those who try to establish a link between Islam and terrorism.

Delivering the opening speech of the OIC foreign ministers' meeting, Aliyev, whose country has taken from Yemen the term presidency, said, "We are alarmed, concerned and angered by certain groups' attempts to liken Islam to terror using mass media," underlining that Islam is a religion of peace and cooperation.

"Although we talk about creation of dialogue among civilizations, disagreements motivated by religion and discrimination on the basis of religion are on the rise. We are now learning about democracy and speaking about globalization. We must not allow disagreements or discrimination motivated by religion. At the level of the OIC, we must make our position clear on these issues," the Azerbaijani president said.

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