Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls for Washington to reopen nuclear negotiations with Tehran, warning against military action as US warships deploy to the region.
ISTANBUL: Turkey’s foreign minister has urged the United States to restart nuclear negotiations with Iran, warning against military action as US warships deploy to the region.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Hakan Fidan said it would be wrong to attack Iran.
He stated that Tehran is ready to negotiate on its nuclear programme again.
“My advice has always been to our American friends: close the files one by one with the Iranians,” Fidan said.
He advised starting with the nuclear issue before moving to other matters.
His comments follow the deployment of a US naval strike force, led by an aircraft carrier, to Middle Eastern waters.
Washington has not ruled out military action over Iran’s harsh crackdown on recent protests.
Rights groups report that thousands were killed within days during the unrest.
The crackdown was accompanied by a nationwide internet blackout.
US President Donald Trump has given mixed signals regarding potential intervention.
NATO-member Turkey, which shares a 530-kilometre border with Iran, has consistently opposed military operations targeting its neighbour.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the unrest as a “new test” for Tehran.
He pledged Turkey would stand against any initiative that drags the region into chaos.
Erdogan expressed hope that diplomacy and dialogue would help Iran navigate this difficult period.
Fidan echoed this, suggesting problems with Iran should be tackled individually rather than as a single package.
“Do not treat them as a package,” Fidan advised.
He warned that bundling all issues together could be difficult for Iran to process and might even seem humiliating.
Fidan also urged Iran to work on building trust within the region.
He revealed he was very frank with Iranian officials during a visit two months ago.
“They need to pay attention to how they are perceived by regional countries,” the Turkish foreign minister concluded.
