Today.Az » Politics » The New Anatolian: "Erdogan unable to convince Ahmadinejad on compromise"
06 May 2006 [20:31] - Today.Az
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Baku on Friday, but was unable to convince him to meet the expectations of the international community on Iran's controversial nuclear program.
Erdogan and Ahmadinejad met on the sidelines of the ninth summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a regional organization that brings together Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Diplomatic sources told The New Anatolian that Erdogan and Ahmadinejad briefly exchanged ideas on recent developments in Tehran's controversial nuclear program, but that there were no real signs of any change in Ahmadinejad's position. Ahmadinejad said, both in his private talk with Erdogan and during the summit, that they won't halt sensitive nuclear activity and will continue with fuel production.
The meeting between Erdogan and Ahmadinejad coincided with efforts from Western powers pushing for a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution requiring an end to uranium enrichment or possible sanctions.
Turkey has repeatedly urged Iran, its eastern neighbor, to be more transparent with its nuclear program to allay the international community's fears that it's secretly developing nuclear weapons.
Following his meeting with Ahmadinejad, Erdogan briefly responded to journalists' questions, and said, "As the Republic of Turkey, we believe that nobody can be against steps towards peaceful civilian nuclear technology. But nobody can positively view steps towards the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMDs]." When asked about Ahmadinejad's response to his position, the Turkish prime minister replied, "They also share this understanding. They don't have a different one."
According to diplomats, Erdogan told Ahmadinejad that Turkey respects Iran's right to have a peaceful civilian program but also wants the entire Middle East to be free of nuclear weapons. He also stressed that Ankara wants a negotiated settlement to the deepening nuclear crisis by using all possible diplomatic means. The Iranian president, on the other hand, reiterated that Tehran's nuclear program is only aimed at civilian purposes and further accused Western countries of trying to block Muslim countries from developing nuclear technology.
Iranian president seeks 'respect' from West
Ahmadinejad, during an address at the ECO meeting on Friday, branded those calling on Tehran to stop its nuclear activity as "bullies."
"We intend to continue our activity ... until we achieve industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel for our atomic power stations," he said.
Accusing Western powers of "waging a psychological war" that aims to prevent Iranian people from developing nuclear technology, he said, "I advise them not to repeat the experiences of the past and begin respecting the people of Iran."
Erdogan: We're facing cold war of values
The Turkish prime minister, in his address to participants of the ECO on Friday, warned against developments that increase the divide between the Western and Muslim worlds. "We're facing a cold war between values. We have to work to end all prejudices, misunderstandings and polarization between cultures," Erdogan stressed.
He further underlined the importance of cooperation among ECO countries to eradicate existing economic problems.
"What we lack are unity and efficiency. If we really want to, we can overcome many obstacles. I know, based on our experience. Just a few years ago, Turkey went through an economic crisis. Today Turkey is the 17th largest market in the world," Erdogan explained. He further expressed his hope that the ECO summit will contribute to the welfare and stability of the region.
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