Turkish Foreign Minister Urges West To Drop Iran Sanctions Talk

Turkey 's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on Western powers Tuesday not to weaken the chances of a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran with talk of new sanctions.

"With the agreement yesterday, an important psychological threshold has been crossed towards establishing mutual trust," Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul a day after the deal was signed in Tehran . "Sanctions, the discussions on sanctions will spoil the atmosphere and the escalation of statements may provoke the Iranian public opinion."

Davutoglu was one of the signatories, along with his Brazilian and Iranian counterparts, of the deal which commits the Iran to shipping much of its low enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for nuclear fuel for a Tehran reactor. Western powers, however, have greeted the deal with skepticism and the U.S. has said it won't halt efforts for a new set of sanctions against Iran .

Davutoglu argued there was no need to doubt the deal, touting the agreement as a basis to overcome the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program which the West suspects is a cover for a nuclear arms drive.

"There is no uncertainty. There is a political will clearly expressed by Iran , signed by Turkey and Brazil , countries very much respected in the international community; and the whole thing is linked to a calendar," he said.

"Now it is time to sit and work to create the conditions for true peace on the basis created [by this deal], not to make speculations or to voice...suspicions," he said.