ISTANBUL - Angela Beer, a member of the Group of the Greens in the European Parliament (EP) who is heading the EU-Iran Delegation of the Security & Defense Sub-Committee, said on Monday that the nuclear arms race in the Middle East was a big threat for Europe.
Making a keynote speech at a forum on ``Nuclear: Needs, Policies and Risks`` held by Bogazici University and Turkish Industrialists` & Businessmen`s Association (TUSIAD) in Turkish commercial hub of Istanbul, Beer said that Iran wanted to become a regional strategic actor.
Claiming that Iran`s nuclear weapon program is going against all international agreements, Beer said, ``if the United States and European Union act together, Iran`s nuclear issue can be settled peacefully.``
On the other hand, Prof. Dr. Abumohammed Asgarkhani, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law & Policy of the Tehran University, said that nuclear armament problem could not be solved unless collective security was guaranteed in the world, and therefore countries would use methods to assure their own security.
Claiming that Turkey`s and Iran`s borders were under threat, Asgarkhani said, ``I don`t defend Iran regime but I back Iran`s territorial integrity and I am talking about Turkey`s territorial integrity. Turkey won`t be in the same (geographical) location after 10-20 years from now. And, there won`t be any Iran or Iraq. Borders will change and a Kurdish state will emerge from (lands of) Turkey, Iran and Iraq.``
Meanwhile, Bernd W. Kubbig, the project director of ``Ballistic Missile Defense Research International`` of Peace Research Institute based in Frankfurt, Germany, said that Turkey was the most suitable country to act like a bridge to bring together Iran and the United States for a dialogue, and added, ``they should talk instead of thinking of destroying each other. And, Turkey is the best placed country which can assure this dialogue.``