Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan balked at supporting new economic sanctions against Iran after a White House meeting with President Barack Obama Monday, arguing diplomacy aimed at ending Tehran's nuclear program needed more time.
U.S. officials view Turkey as a central player in forging an international consensus on pressuring Iran, due to Ankara's expanding economic and diplomatic ties to Tehran and Erdogan's considerable influence across the Middle East.
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Turkey also currently sits as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
U.S. officials said that deliberations focused on enacting a fourth round of sanctions on Iran for its nuclear work is likely to begin at the U.N. over the next month. Turkey abstained last month from voting on a U.N. resolution censuring Iran for developing a clandestine uranium-enrichment facility in the holy city of Qom.
Erdogan, however, told reporters at a hotel press conference after the White House meeting Monday morning that Turkey didn't believe now is the time to exert additional economic pressure on Iran. "We have specifically stated that the question [of Iran's nuclear program] can be resolved through diplomacy and diplomacy only," the Turkish leader said.
Erdogan added that he didn't believe sanctions against Iran would succeed, as even American-made products continue to be smuggled into Iran. He also said Iran's nuclear program could only be solved as part of a wider international effort to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles of all countries.
The Turkish prime minister offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear question. "I believe Turkey can play the role of corridor provider for positive deliberations to take place," Erdogan said.
The Obama administration views Turkey as a crucial ally in addressing a range of security issues in the Middle East, in addition to Iran, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan.
President Obama praised Ankara Monday for its deployment of 1,750 Turkish troops in Afghanistan and its current role as commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeeping operations in Kabul. Erdogan pledged to expand his country's training of Afghan security forces, though he wouldn't commit to sending additional combat troops to the Central Asian country.
Obama and Erdogan also pledged Monday to expand economic and energy cooperation between Turkey and the U.S. and continue joint-efforts to normalize Ankara's relationship with Armenia. Obama also cited Turkey as a key partner in his administration's efforts to heal rifts between the U.S. and the Islamic world.
"It plays a critical role I think in helping to shape mutual understanding and stability and peace not only in its neighborhood but around the world," Obama said following his meeting with Turkey's leader.
Despite Obama's praise for Turkey, U.S. officials acknowledge there remain significant differences between Washington and Ankara over key issues in the Middle East.
Erdogan has played a leading role over the past year in attacking Israel's military actions in the Gaza strip and its refusal to agree to a complete settlement freeze in Palestinian territories. Erdogan, despite maintaining Turkey's diplomatic ties to Israel, has also maintained a dialogue with the militant Palestinian group Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization.
Still, Erdogan stressed Monday that his government remained willing to serve as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as between Israel and Syria.
"We stand ready as Turkey to do whatever we can do with respect to relations between Israel and the Palestinians, and Israel and Syria," Turkey's leader said.