Iran and the six world powers negotiating a settlement to the standoff over the Islamic state's nuclear program have both requested Turkish help, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Monday.
"There is no reason to be pessimistic" on a possible solution, he said after meeting Sunday with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who stopped in Istanbul on his way back from Geneva after talks with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"Mr Jelili and Mr Solana have said they will have another contact in several weeks. Until that time, our contacts with both sides will continue," the minister said.
"This is a request that has come from both sides," he added.
Turkey has no formal mediation mission, Babacan said, describing the country's role as "one that is in a sense consolidating and facilitating" the negotiations between Iran and the six major powers - the U.K., China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S.
The six have offered Iran a package of incentives in return for freezing uranium enrichment, which the West fears could be part of a secret program to make a nuclear weapon.
Babacan spoke of "a deep confidence gap" between the sides and said Turkey was trying "to rectify any misunderstandings and ensure that they better understand their mutual concerns."
Being a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member and a candidate for E.U. membership and at the same time having good ties with eastern neighbor Iran, Turkey "has means of easy dialogue with the parties," he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had met with Babacan and other Turkish leaders in Ankara Friday, a day before the Geneva talks.
Iran faces a two-week deadline to give a final answer to world powers seeking a breakthrough in the crisis, which has raised fears of regional conflict and sent oil prices spiraling.
Solana said he was waiting for a decision from Tehran on an initial deal to start pre-negotiations.
This would see world powers promising not to impose further U.N. Security Council resolutions against Tehran, in exchange for Iran not installing any more uranium-enriching centrifuges, he said.
In a major development, the Geneva talks were also attended by a senior U.S. diplomat, the first time Washington has had direct contact over the nuclear stalemate with Tehran.