Turkey urges US to resolve Iran disputes one by one, says Iran ready for nuclear talks
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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also reiterated that his country opposed any foreign intervention or attack on Iran.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ANKARA – Turkey’s Foreign Minister on Jan 28 urged the US to resolve its disputes with Iran “one by one” instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme.
US President Donald Trump said last week that Washington had an “armada” heading towards Iran
Tehran brutally cracked down on anti-government protests
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey opposed any foreign intervention or attack on Iran, saying it would be “wrong to start the war again”.
“My advice always to the American friends: close the files one by one with Iranians. Start with nuclear, close it, then the other, then the other,” Mr Fidan said.
“If you put them as a package all of them, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest,” he said. “It sometimes might seem humiliating for them. It will be very difficult to explain to not only themselves, but also to the leadership.”
In June, the US struck Iran’s nuclear facilities
Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, has said it reached out to both US and Iranian officials. Ankara has said Tehran must be allowed to handle its domestic issues on its own, warning that any destabilisation would exceed the region’s capacity to manage at this time.
Mr Fidan has also said Israel was still looking to attack Iran. REUTERS
