Turkish President Abdullah Gul says a potential œsoftening process” in relations between Iran and the United States will be greatly beneficial to Turkey.\n<\/p>\n
Gul said the US-led sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program have affected the Turkish economy as œour banks cannot make transactions with Iran,” Turkey™s Hurrieyt Daily News<\/i> reported on Monday.\n<\/p>\n œBut if a softening process starts [in Iran-US ties], we would be the one who will be the happiest,” said the Turkish president, expressing hope for the resolution of the Western dispute over Iran™s nuclear energy program.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He made the remarks on his way back to Turkey from New York, where he attended the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.<\/p>\n In the first direct communication between an Iranian and a US president since Iran™s Islamic Revolution of 1979, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran held a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Barack Obama on September 27 shortly before leaving New York.\n<\/p>\n The landmark conversation between the two presidents mainly focused on Iran™s nuclear energy program.\n<\/p>\n Gul had earlier praised the historic conversation between Rouhani and Obama on his Twitter page.\n<\/p>\n œI am pleased to learn the phone call between President Obama and President Rohani,” he tweeted. œI have also been encouraging such dialogue for a long time. I hope this would be a good start.”\n<\/p>\n MKA\/HSN\/HJL<\/p>\n