'Turkish soil option for fuel exchange'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEHERAN, Iran

Iran "does not have a problem with Turkish soil" as the location for an exchange of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told state TV late Thursday. It was the latest in several counteroffers by the Persian nation proposed in lieu of accepting a key UN-drafted deal, which aims to ease concerns Teheran could build a nuclear weapon by transferring most of the country's low-enriched uranium abroad.

In Turkey, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu welcomed the Iranian announcement and said his government is ready to do its best to help reach a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. While the remarks signaled a slight change in stance - Teheran has earlier said it would only accept such an exchange on its own territory - they represent no significant shift in Iranian policy.

The US and its allies have demanded Iran accept the terms of the UN-brokered plan as is, without changes. Under the plan, drafted last month, Iran would export its low-enriched uranium for further enrichment in Russia and France, where it would be converted into fuel rods. The rods, which Iran requires to power a research reactor in Teheran, would be returned to the country about a year later.

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