The IAEA has suggested that Iran send its uranium to Turkey – instead of Russia or France – as part of the P5+1 proposal to enrich Iranian uranium for medical purposes. The idea is to allow Iran to send its uranium to a country that it may trust more than the French or the Russians. It is likely that Turkey would relish such a role, though it has not given any official statement on the matter.
In recent weeks, Turkey has been criticized for its friendly approach to Tehran and for Prime Minister Erdogan’s statement that it believes the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
If Iran were to accept the IAEA’s proposal, it would constitute a concrete example of how Turkey’s increasingly assertive engagement in the Middle East can, in fact, enhance Turkey’s value to the West.
– Ben Katcher
