Iranian press: 'Istanbul to host Iran nuclear talks'

Iran, six world powers agreed to hold second round of talks in Baghdad if progress achieved in Turkey, FARS reports.

By REUTERS
Iranian President Ahmadinejad at nuclear facility 390 (R) (photo credit: Ho New / Reuters)
Iranian President Ahmadinejad at nuclear facility 390 (R)
(photo credit: Ho New / Reuters)
DUBAI - Istanbul will host the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, Iran's English-language Press TV reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.
Iran's FARS news agency said the sides had also agreed to hold a second round of talks in the Iraqi capital Baghdad if they made progress in Turkey. There was no immediate comment from the world powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.
The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the veracity of the Iranian reports.
Iran and officials from the P5+1 group of countries had earlier released conflicting statements about the venue for the talks, scheduled on April 13, raising doubts among some diplomats and analysts over whether the negotiations would happen at all.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said last Thursday that Iran was insincere in suggesting Damascus or Baghdad instead of Istanbul as possible venues for talks on its disputed nuclear program with six world powers next week.
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
"The offer going round at the moment, Damascus or Baghdad, is a waste of time, it means it won't happen, because they know the other side won't come to Damascus or Baghdad," Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara.
"We have to be honest. Because of the lack of honesty they are continually losing their international prestige," he said. "This is not the language of diplomacy. The name of this is something else, but I won't say it here."
Turkey had offered to host the April 13-14 talks in Istanbul and the two sides had appeared to settle on Turkey's commercial hub as the venue, but Tehran then requested to change the location following friction with Ankara.