{EOP}'Turkey no military launchpad for USZ', says Turkish President Abdullah Gul

Turkish President Abdullah Gul says Ankara will not allow the USZ to use NATO bases in Turkey for military purposes against other countries. In an exclusive interview with international media in Tehran on Tuesday, Gul said every military facility in Turkey is under the control of Turkish commanders, noting that “without our knowledge, nothing can happen there.” Gul arrived in Tehran on Sunday heading a high-ranking 135-member delegation upon the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Gul also said Turkey supports Iran's nuclear rights and would play a constructive role in Iran's nuclear program in the future. “We want to see this dispute solved in a peaceful way… through diplomacy and dialogue”, he said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul

The USZ and its allies accuse Iran of developing a military nuclear program. In June 2009, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors under Western pressure. Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the charges, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran has the right to use peaceful nuclear technology.