PM’s words contradict foreign policy

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said nuclear powers must disarm before telling Iran not to go nuclear, during a speech at the Brookings Institute on Friday. He said, "countries who ask Iran to drop its nuclear weapons scheme," need to first get rid of their own weapons, referring to Iran's nuclear row with the European powers. "(Iran) tries to defend itself when faced with such demands, normal for any country," Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan’s stance is clearly different from that of his government’s foreign policy officials. President Abdullah Gül, as foreign minister in 2006, said Turkey supported nuclear programs only for peaceful purposes, urging Iran to "cooperate closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency." Gül also called on Iran to "implement the UN's decisions and recommendations on nuclear armament."

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan adopted a similar stance, calling on Iran to be more transparent in its nuclear activities. "Turkey is against Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. However, we believe this issue could be solved through diplomatic means," he said during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rice in June.

Semih İdiz from daily Milliyet said Erdoğan, "dropped a diplomatic brick," with his statements, by including the United States in a nuclear equation with Iran. "This would definitely please Tehran. However, his words will not only upset the U.S, but Turkey’s other NATO allies as well. It seems Erdoğan is not aware of the alliance’s nuclear policy, nor the fact that Turkey approved it," he wrote.