Turkey, Iran fail to sign energy deal

15/08/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- President Abdullah Gul met with Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday (August 14th) to discuss bilateral ties, including an energy partnership, and Tehran's nuclear programme. But the two countries failed to sign a deal on a gas pipeline that was to be the centrepiece of Ahmadinejad's working visit to Turkey. On Wednesday, the US State Department said it expected Ankara to avoid signing the energy deal as it might harm diplomatic efforts on Iran's nuclear programme. "Such a deal would send the wrong message at a time when the Iranian regime has repeatedly failed to comply with its UN Security Council obligations," the State Department said. (Zaman, Sabah, Press TV, Financial Times, Guardian - 15/08/08; Hurriyet, AP - 14/08/08)