Interview by Ceren Mutus (JTW)

Question 1: How do you perceive the role that is played by Turkey during the nuclear negotiations and do you agree that Turkey can be a mediator in the region's most critical conflicts?

Well, that is the one million dollar question. This is a simple, but at the same time a very important question. Turkey is doing a beautiful job within the region, and not only inside the region, but outside it as well. If you see the type of role that Turkey is playing in Afghanistan and also pursuing the issue of Zero Problem Policy within the region. Along with the kind of role it is playing in Cyprus and with Azerbaijan.

In the region, with regard to Iran, I don't have to say that the two countries are enjoying the best possible relationship between each other. We have been repeatedly saying that what we do in the country is for peaceful purposes and somehow we have proved it so many times; yet still the Westerners, in particular the United States, are somehow emphasizing the kind of reasons that you know, I know, everyone knows, which are that what Iran is doing is somehow not for peaceful purposes. The main issue that I can say is that the nuclear issue with Iran is mainly a political issue, and not a nuclear one. I've been in this business for a long time and the kind of feeling that I have from the mentality of the Americans is that, the moment you say no to them, you are violating human rights. I think with so many different countries, somehow, they try to say that the norms and the standards of living, with regard to the human rights issue, are not considered, so can see the issue of double standard. Countries, which are enjoying a good relationship with the United States, nobody talks about them, and the moment you are not on good terms with the Americans, the second you differ on issues, whether it a human rights issue, political issue, internal issue, external issue, so these are the kind of problems that we have.

In regards to Turkey, somehow I think Turkey has done a great job to convince the world community that Iran's intention is not to make a nuclear bomb. We are trying to have nuclear energy within the country. It is our right to have it, just like any other country. To give a simple example, when it comes to NPT we are a member and the Israelis are not. The Israelis have the bomb, which the technology for was given to them by the West. The name of the country is France, who gave them the technology in 1956. They (Israel) have the bomb, and no one says a word. They are not a member of NPT, nobody says a word. We are a member and we are having peaceful research; yet we are accused of having the intention of making bombs. So, these are not really good excuses and as I said earlier on, it's the issue that you know, I know and everyone knows who is involved in politics, and thank God, the two countries, Iran and Turkey, have very good relations and are enjoying an excellent relationship between each other, and this time Turkey did the best possible role it could and we really welcome any country, any member, any neighboring countries, in particular when it comes to Turkey, who have so many things in common. They are enjoying good historical, cultural, economical, trade, political, you just name it, in all different aspects they have good relations, and they seized this opportunity to come and somehow wrap up this issue in the best possible way with Brazil.

I am sure you know that Tehran contract that was signed by Iran, Turkey and Brazil. I wish to say that the Americans were not thinking that Iran would sign such a thing. They were surprised, and that is why they acted like this because they were thinking that Iran would not sign, and would reject in the end everything they could and were prepared to do, and the moment that we (Iran) said okay, we are sure of ourselves, we signed this Treaty. They just didn't know, and everybody became disappoint that it was more political than the issue was.

Question 2: Do you think there is a disagreement among regional countries as to what is the most critical issue of the region such as with the Iranian Nuclear Crisis, and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict? If yes, what are the reasons for this and what are your recommendations for a solution?

I wish there was not disparity among the countries in the Middle East and in the region, but ignoring the facts does not change the facts. The facts of the matter are that the counties within the Middle East have different views and unfortunately they are not having or enjoying the same positions. However, sooner or later the people of these different countries will come to the point and put their governments under pressure to come up with a good stance. People are tired of wars, conflicts, killings and these sorts of things. You see the kind of problems there are in Afghanistan and in Iraq. People and countries come just for the reasons according to them, which are not genuine reasons, to help this country, but can you just imagine how many people that have been killed in the last five, ten years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The best solution is to help them in a way that they make their own decisions, for their own people. Iraq and Afghanistan are not battlefields for other countries to come and to solve their problems. If you want to help the Iraqis, if you want to help the Afghanis, then you must engage in dialogue and other channels. Dialogue, democracy and free elections are the best channels, but you must let them decide. Countries like Iran, like Turkey, like Egypt, they have a civilization of seven thousand years. Can you imagine a country, which has a civilization of two, three, five hundred years coming from ten thousand miles away to tell you how to live your life? They have people, smart people, they have everything, and they have every right to rule their own government. You go there just for your own benefit, for your own pocket, it is not for the benefit of the Iraqis or Afghans. They have their problems, we know, who doesn't have problems? Anyone who is alive has problems, the only a dead person does not have problems. But, all these people are asking is to give them a chance, to just give them a chance to breathe, to come up to the point where they can solve their own problems.