Ankara ‘willing to mediate’ between US, Iran to ease tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “is willing” to mediate between the US and Iran to ease tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Erdogan said, in comments published in the pro-government Sabah newspaper on Thursday, that he had discussed the issue of a possible mediation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting.

Abe asked the Turkish leader whether Turkey and Japan could act together, to which Erdogan responded that he would be willing to meet with Iran’s leaders, AP reports. Erdogan spoke to Turkish journalists during a visit to China.

Iran has warned that it will increase its enrichment of uranium as tensions rise a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.