Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the US and Iran have reached an agreement in principle on key elements, but technical issues, including the fate of Iran's enriched uranium and the implementation of a future enrichment moratorium, remain unresolved.
Speaking to journalists during his two-day visit to Russia, Fidan said technical teams still needed to determine issues related to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles.
"There is a principled understanding regarding the dilution of 400 kilogrammes of enriched uranium in Iran. But who will carry out the dilution, who will oversee it, and how it will be verified still need to be discussed," he said.
Fidan said wartime conditions, mutual distrust and regional developments, including Israel's occupation of Lebanon, had slowed negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
"While the US side could respond within an hour, the Iranians sometimes needed a week," he said, adding that he had encouraged both sides to engage in direct talks.
The Turkish foreign minister also criticised Israel's regional policies, calling them "a global problem."
"Israel wants destruction in the region. It wants to occupy some countries and employ terrorism. This has consequences for global security as well as the economy. We are seeing Israel face increasing diplomatic backlash.
"We hope this diplomatic response will produce results and that all countries in our region will live in peace, stability and prosperity," he said.
Fidan said the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel had shifted international attention away from Gaza but expressed hope regional countries would refocus on the enclave once the crisis eased.
He added that efforts to reach a framework agreement for the second phase of Gaza ceasefire negotiations were continuing with the involvement of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
NATO Summit in Ankara
Turning to NATO, Fidan said key decisions expected at next month's alliance summit in Ankara could not be made without US President Donald Trump, adding that many European allies believed Türkiye's hosting of the meeting was the main reason Trump was expected to attend.
"Many European countries say that the fact the meeting will be hosted by our president in Türkiye is the most important factor making President Trump's participation possible," Fidan said.
"If it were not for our president and if it were not Türkiye, Trump would not attend and would have effectively declared that he does not attach importance to the summit."
He said preparations for the July 7-8 summit were continuing intensively.
"The most important issue is how the nuances between the US and Europeans' approaches to NATO will manifest themselves.
"There are very important issues, and it is not possible for them to be decided at a meeting where the US president is absent," he said.
Fidan also said his talks in Russia showed there were no major disputes hindering bilateral relations or regional cooperation, with both countries seeking to expand collaboration. Mutual high-level visits continued and relations remained unchanged despite difficult issues being discussed openly, he added.
"We have developed a very special relationship with the Russians. Even when we have had very serious disagreements, we have known how to cooperate and build trust.
"Both leaders have a clear vision; they defend their countries' interests within certain principles and are ready to adopt a constructive approach," he said.
Russia-Ukraine war and South Caucasus
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said Moscow's position remained unchanged.
"During my meetings in Russia, I observed that Russian officials' views on Ukraine have not changed. They say, 'There is no chance of this happening until the Donetsk issue is resolved.'"
On South Caucasus, Fidan said the parties had agreed to activate the 3+3 regional platform involving Türkiye, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia and Georgia, describing it as an important mechanism for strengthening regional cooperation.
"As regional countries, we must prioritise cooperation instead of competition and the pursuit of dominance," he said.
"With the same perspective, we can strengthen our economies and increase stability in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The pursuit of domination must come to an end. Peace, tranquility and stability will benefit us all. We need to change our mindset."
Despite persistent mistrust among some countries, the Turkish foreign minister said recent talks between Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Georgia had focused on connectivity, including the Middle Corridor, a transport route linking Europe and Asia via the Caucasus and Türkiye..
"We believe important steps can be taken," he said.
On normalisation with Armenia, Fidan said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government had taken important steps, while Türkiye had advanced measures, including direct trade and flights under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership.
"We are ready for normalisation once the necessary conditions emerge," he added.
