In televised remarks over the weekend, Mohamed ElBaradei, the director general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he proposed Turkey as a third-country destination after Iran failed to agree to a Western plan where its enriched uranium would be sent to Russia for further enrichment to reactor-grade fuel. Tehran has yet to give a full, official reply to the proposal, which was drafted three weeks ago after consultations with Iran, France, Russia and the US.Earlier this week, expressing Ankara’s readiness to contribute to efforts to help resolve Iran’s nuclear row peacefully, Turkish officials noted that Turkey had not received any formal proposal to help with ElBaradei’s offer.
IAEA chief ElBaradei initiated a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Özügergin told the Anatolia news agency on Thursday. Özügergin noted that Davutoğlu conveyed his observations during comprehensive meetings he, President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who were both in İstanbul to attend an economic summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
A comprehensive exchange of views took place during a telephone conversation between ElBaradei and Davutoğlu, Özügergin told Anatolia, while underlining that ElBaradei has offered “some technical details” as well.
Diplomatic sources, approached by Today’s Zaman, admitted that the technical details were about Turkey’s possible role in shipping Iran’s enriched uranium. Yet, the same sources declined to give further details on the content of those technical talks, pointing to the sensitivity of the ongoing process as a reason.
Ankara, which constantly emphasizes its stance for a resolution of the international dispute through diplomatic means and through maintaining dialogue between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany), will apparently stay in close contact with ElBaradei in the near future as well, the same diplomatic sources said.
On Monday, Davutoğlu briefly said ElBaradei’s proposal to send Iranian low-enriched uranium to Turkey was discussed with Ahmadinejad and Mottaki. “We are in a very constructive position with both the IAEA and Iran,” Davutoğlu said then of the talks.
The plan requires Tehran to send 1.2 tons (1,100 kilograms) -- around 70 percent of its stockpile -- of low-enriched uranium to Russia in one batch by the end of the year for further enrichment, a move that would ease international concerns that the material could be processed for a bomb. After further enrichment in Russia, France would then convert the uranium into fuel rods that would be returned to Iran for use in a reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes. Fuel rods cannot be further enriched into weapons-grade material.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, has not yet given its final response to the UN proposal and has instead come up with its own request to buy nuclear fuel from abroad.
Speaking to reporters before departing İstanbul late on Monday, Ahmadinejad declined to comment directly on ElBaradei’s offer for Turkey to play a role but said Iran had much trust in Turkey. “We have very good relations with Turkey. We trust each other,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Anatolia. He avoided giving a direct answer when persistently asked about Iranian media reports that said Tehran had rejected the offer.
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