PM visits Iran, receives praise over nuke row, Israel

The Iranian president Tuesday praised the visiting Turkish prime minister for his clear stance against Israel and supportive position on the Islamic republic’s controversial nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he appreciated Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s stands on Iran’s atomic program and on Israel, believed to be the Middle East’s sole but undeclared nuclear state, the presidential Web site reported.

Erdoğan’s visit comes as the world awaits Tehran’s response to a nuclear deal that could ease tensions with the West. Erdoğan recently accused Western powers of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear program and referred to the Iranian president as a “friend.”

“When an illicit regime possesses nuclear arms, one cannot talk about depriving other nations of a peaceful nuclear program,” Ahmadinejad said during talks with the Turkish prime minister. “Your clear stance toward the Zionist regime had a positive effect in the world, especially the Islamic world, and I am sure that everyone was satisfied.”

“The more regional countries expand their ties and get closer to each other, the more they can remove their problems and limit the ill-wishers that have plots against them,” the Iranian president added. “Iran-Turkey cooperation would benefit both countries, the region and the whole Islamic world.”

In remarks that were his first since the U.N.-drafted offer was put forth last week, Ahmadinejad said Iran would persist with its nuclear program despite international concerns. Though he did not directly refer to the draft, his comments could indicate Iran’s hardening stance toward the U.N. proposal.

Tehran is expected to respond to the offer this week.

Geneva talks

In a press meeting following his visit with Ahmadinejad on Tuesday, Prime Minister Erdoğan welcomed Iran’s stand during talks with the world powers in Geneva over its nuclear drive, and said: “In the first Geneva meeting, Iran has put forth a sincere picture. They have said, ‘Let’s come up with a consensus, work together and work with the process within the framework of this consensus.’”

U.N. Security Council permanent members “all have nuclear arsenals and then there are countries that are not members of the International Atomic Energy Agency that also have nuclear weapons,” Erdoğan said, apparently referring to Israel.

The Turkish prime minister said he had the chance to discuss a number of issues with Ahmadinejad, including bilateral relations, the economy, trade, cultural topics and energy. “We had the chance to evaluate the measures that can be taken against terrorism,” added Erdoğan. “We had the chance to discuss this issue in a national, regional and, of course, a global perspective.”

Before meeting with Ahmadinejad, Erdoğan held talks with Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, who said the two sides should “consolidate their current relations.”

“The circumstances in both nations have created a golden opportunity, and by using this opportunity we should further consolidate our existing relations,” said Rahimi, as quoted by Mehr news agency. Rahimi also commended Erdoğan’s stance on Israel as a “valuable act in defending the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Erdoğan, who arrived in Iran at the head of a high-ranking political and business delegation Monday, was expected to hold talks with the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to press Tuesday afternoon.