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Hürriyet , Turkey
March 12 2009
We do not need Turkish mediation: Ahmadinejad
ANKARA - While Turkey earlier voiced its willingness to act as a
mediator between Iran and the United States, the Iranian president
says his country does not need Turkish mediation. The Turkish
president, who is on a visit to Tehran, says both Tehran and
Washington have the good will to improve ties, adding that Turkey has
responsibilities on the issue
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday Iran did not need
Turkey's mediation for a solution to its dispute with the United
States.
"We don't need Turkey's mediation," he was quoted as saying in Tehran
by the private channel NTV.
His remarks came amid the high running speculation that Ankara may act
as mediator between Washington and Tehran. Turkey's President Abdullah
Gül and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan flew to Tehran to attend an
economy summit after a landmark visit by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton in Ankara over the weekend.
Asked if Turkey could play a mediator role, Turkish President Abdullah
Gül said Turkey's "invaluable work" was recognized by everyone. He
said Turkey was a neighbor of Iran and an ally to the West, adding
that a country in such a position would bear a number of
responsibilities that cannot be limited to a narrow frame.
Cengiz Çandar, columnist for Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review
accompanying the president on his Tehran visit, said Gül did not use
the word "mediation" but his statements revealed that Ankara would
encourage resuming contacts between Tehran and Washington.
Turkey has said it would weigh any requests by both Iran and the
United States to serve as a mediator between the two sides. The Unites
States and Iran have not had diplomatic ties for three decades and are
now embroiled in a row over Tehran's nuclear program. The West
suspects Iran of trying to build a nuclear bomb under guise of a
peaceful atomic energy program, a charge Tehran rejects.
For his part, Gül has expressed optimism that ties between the United
States and Iran will improve, as both countries are willing for better
relations.
"What I have seen is that both the Iranians and the Americans are
well-intentionedÉ Of course an iceberg will not thaw all of a sudden,"
President Gül was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency
yesterday.
Gül met his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Tuesday and
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. "An atmosphere of
confidence can be created with behavior that shows that you are
sincere," he told reporters after his meetings.
The world entered a new process in international politics and
relations after the presidential election in the United States, Gül
said. "The former U.S. administration was applying a method and style
in which it was making unilateral decisions, implementing them
unilaterally when necessary, and imposing its views when necessary,"
he said.
He said the new U.S. management was pursuing a very different method
from the previous one, and defined the Obama administration as one
that said and showed that it would listen to everyone, be
multi-lateral, get recommendations from every one, and establish
dialogue for a solution to problems.
Israel visit not clear yet
In response to a question about a possible visit to Israel, which was
scheduled for January but was later postponed, Gül said: "It is not
scheduled. We had the intention but after the Gaza incident that visit
became impossible." But he added that he could visit Israel and the
Palestinian territory if necessary circumstances were created but that
was not under consideration for the time being.
Gül also welcomed the planned visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to
Turkey from April 6-7. "If we lay the rails well at the beginning,
then we can go a long distance on those rails," he said. The president
was also scheduled to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham
Aliyev. Çandar wrote that Gül touched on Turkish-Armenian ties, which
are linked with progress in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
March 12 2009
We do not need Turkish mediation: Ahmadinejad
ANKARA - While Turkey earlier voiced its willingness to act as a
mediator between Iran and the United States, the Iranian president
says his country does not need Turkish mediation. The Turkish
president, who is on a visit to Tehran, says both Tehran and
Washington have the good will to improve ties, adding that Turkey has
responsibilities on the issue
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday Iran did not need
Turkey's mediation for a solution to its dispute with the United
States.
"We don't need Turkey's mediation," he was quoted as saying in Tehran
by the private channel NTV.
His remarks came amid the high running speculation that Ankara may act
as mediator between Washington and Tehran. Turkey's President Abdullah
Gül and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan flew to Tehran to attend an
economy summit after a landmark visit by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton in Ankara over the weekend.
Asked if Turkey could play a mediator role, Turkish President Abdullah
Gül said Turkey's "invaluable work" was recognized by everyone. He
said Turkey was a neighbor of Iran and an ally to the West, adding
that a country in such a position would bear a number of
responsibilities that cannot be limited to a narrow frame.
Cengiz Çandar, columnist for Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review
accompanying the president on his Tehran visit, said Gül did not use
the word "mediation" but his statements revealed that Ankara would
encourage resuming contacts between Tehran and Washington.
Turkey has said it would weigh any requests by both Iran and the
United States to serve as a mediator between the two sides. The Unites
States and Iran have not had diplomatic ties for three decades and are
now embroiled in a row over Tehran's nuclear program. The West
suspects Iran of trying to build a nuclear bomb under guise of a
peaceful atomic energy program, a charge Tehran rejects.
For his part, Gül has expressed optimism that ties between the United
States and Iran will improve, as both countries are willing for better
relations.
"What I have seen is that both the Iranians and the Americans are
well-intentionedÉ Of course an iceberg will not thaw all of a sudden,"
President Gül was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency
yesterday.
Gül met his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Tuesday and
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. "An atmosphere of
confidence can be created with behavior that shows that you are
sincere," he told reporters after his meetings.
The world entered a new process in international politics and
relations after the presidential election in the United States, Gül
said. "The former U.S. administration was applying a method and style
in which it was making unilateral decisions, implementing them
unilaterally when necessary, and imposing its views when necessary,"
he said.
He said the new U.S. management was pursuing a very different method
from the previous one, and defined the Obama administration as one
that said and showed that it would listen to everyone, be
multi-lateral, get recommendations from every one, and establish
dialogue for a solution to problems.
Israel visit not clear yet
In response to a question about a possible visit to Israel, which was
scheduled for January but was later postponed, Gül said: "It is not
scheduled. We had the intention but after the Gaza incident that visit
became impossible." But he added that he could visit Israel and the
Palestinian territory if necessary circumstances were created but that
was not under consideration for the time being.
Gül also welcomed the planned visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to
Turkey from April 6-7. "If we lay the rails well at the beginning,
then we can go a long distance on those rails," he said. The president
was also scheduled to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham
Aliyev. Çandar wrote that Gül touched on Turkish-Armenian ties, which
are linked with progress in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.