Obama urges Erdogan on Iran's nuclear programme (Roundup)

Dec 7, 2009, 21:56 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting Monday to offer more support in trying to resolve the dispute with Iran over its nuclear activities.

Obama highlighted Turkey's key role in the Middle East, adding it was critical to ensure Iran's nuclear work was limited to civilian energy and that Tehran takes steps to ease international concerns.

'Turkey can be an important player in trying to move Iran in that direction,' Obama said.

The United States and its key NATO ally have differed over how to approach Iran's defiance of UN Security Council resolutions calling on Iran to halt uranium enrichment. At a time when Obama could be moving towards seeking additional Security Council sanctions, Turkey has been looking to expand economic relations with Iran.

During a session with reporters after the meeting, Erdogan said his country is committed to ensuring Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and that the issue must be resolved diplomatically.

'We had a specific statement that this is a question that can be brought to a resolution through diplomacy and diplomacy only,' Erdogan said through a translator.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues at the White House meeting, including Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process, terrorism, Turkey's relations with neighbouring countries, as well as the global economy and energy.

Obama announced last week a decision to deploy an additional 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan in an attempt to reverse Taliban gains, and he thanked Erdogan of Turkey's support in stabilizing Afghanistan. Turkey has about 1,750 soldiers there. Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's role in Afghanistan to help training Afghan security forces and rebuilding local areas.

'There are steps that we have taken with respect to training activity and other activities in the context of provisional reconstruction teams, and we continue on that,' he said. Turkey has said it so far has no plans to send more forces.

The leaders emphasized the strong relationship the two countries share in fighting terrorism and the improved cooperation that has emerged since a 2007 agreement to share intelligence. Erdogan said US assistance has helped in the fight against Kurdish PKK separatists regarded by both sides to be a terrorist organization.

'We had declared the separatist terrorist organization as the common enemy of the United States, Turkey and Iraq, because terrorism is the enemy of all mankind,' Erdogan said.

'Wherever a terrorist attack takes place, our reaction is always the same, because terrorism does not have a religion - a homeland,' he said.

The United States and Turkey have also worked together to prevent the PKK in northern Iraq from using the area to carry out attacks in Turkey, the leaders said.

Meanwhile, Obama praised Erdogan's inclusive policies towards Turkey's minority Kurdish community and expressed condolences on the killing of at least seven Turkish soldiers in a terrorist attack earlier in the day.

Obama said he had 'complimented' Erdogan for the 'often very difficult steps' he had taken in reintegrating the Kurdish minority into the democratic and political process.

Obama was referring to the initiative by Erdogan's government to create an anti-discrimination commission and allow political campaigning in languages other than Turkish in an effort to stem the terrorism of Kurdish separatists.

The US president drew parallels to the way in which the Kurdish minority in neighbouring Iraq was feeling 'effectively represented' within the central government. That feeling helped the Iraqi Kurds to recognize that their interests and prosperity could not be advanced through 'any kind of military activity.'

Turkey was prepared to do whatever it could on the Middle East crisis, Erdogan said, adding that 'I do believe that, first and foremost, the United States, too, has important responsibility in trying to achieve global peace.'

Turkey has staked out a leading mediating role between the Israelis and Syrians and was willing to help in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, Erdogan said.

Obama said the overtures by Ankara to Turkey's estimated 12-15 million Kurdish minority reflected the recognition that terrorism cannot just be dealt with militarily. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has been fighting Turkish forces since 1982, in a conflict that has cost the lives of an estimated 40,000.