ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will press Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to work for a compromise in Tehran's dispute with the West over its nuclear activities when the two meet Friday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Thursday.
Erdogan was expected to have talks with Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of a regional gathering in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.
"It is obvious what the talks will be about: all of us should make efforts for peace in the region, we should insist on diplomatic means and find a compromise," Gul said in an interview with NTV television.
Ankara, he said, will convey the same message "in strong terms" to Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, scheduled to hold talks here on Monday.
Turkey has repeatedly urged Iran, its eastern neighbour, to be more transparent with its nuclear program to allay the international community's fears that it is secretly developing a nuclear weapons program.
05/04/2006 13:31 GMT