Tue, 18 May 2010 18:27:02 GMT

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the UN Security Council lacks the “credibility” to deal with Iran’s nuclear issue.

Erdogan criticized the permanent members of the Security Council for maintaining their nuclear capability while calling on other countries to abandon their weapons.

His comments came a day after Iran said it had agreed to send some 1,200 kg of its 3.5 percent enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for a total of 120 kg of 20 percent uranium.

The nuclear declaration came after negotiations between Iran, Turkey and Brazil in Tehran.

“Where is your credibility if you have nuclear weapons but are telling other countries not to have them,” Erdogan said while visiting the European University in Madrid, where he received an honorary doctorate.

Britain, China, France, Russia and the US are the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council.

Despite worldwide calls for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear issue, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton announced earlier on Tuesday that Washington had reached an agreement with Russia and China on a “strong draft” resolution for new UN sanctions against Iran.

The remarks came as a surprise as both Beijing and Moscow welcomed Iran’s nuclear declaration as an important step in solving Iran’s nuclear issue.

Turkey and Brazil are both non-permanent members of the Security Council, which was reportedly to meet on Tuesday to receive the draft resolution on new UN sanctions against Iran.”