Iran's controversial nuclear programme was high on the agenda when US President Barack Obama received Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Monday.

Turkey is widely considered a strategically important player when it comes to Middle East issues, and following the talks in the Oval Office, Obama was quick to point out that Turkey could play a crucial role in breaking the deadlock over protracted nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Obama, who visited Turkey in April, said that he had used Monday's meeting to stress the importance of resolving Iran's nuclear capacity "in a way that allows Iran to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, but provides assurances that it will abide by international rules and norms."

"I believe that Turkey can be an important player in trying to move Iran in that direction," Obama said.

Erdogan said Turkey was ready to help in achieving a diplomatic solution to its neighbor's nuclear ambitions – a statement that will no doubt go down well in European capitals.

Ankara's defense of Iran's nuclear program in the past had raised eyebrows among Turkey's NATO allies. Erdogan had earlier played down concerns that Iran might be developing nuclear weapons capability, while criticizing Western powers for turning a blind eye to Israel's alleged nuclear weaponry.

Fighting terrorism

Obama also used the meeting to express his condolences for a terrorist attack in northern Turkey which left at least seven Turkish soldiers dead. The president stressed that both Washington and Ankara were committed to defeat terrorism "regardless of where it occurs."

The US president also thanked the Turkish premier for his country's commitments in Afghanistan. Turkey took over the rotating command of the NATO peacekeeping operation in Kabul last month and doubled its number of troops in the war-torn country to around 1,750.

However, it has resisted repeated US requests to send its troops on combat operations.

nk/Reuters/AFP/AP

Editor: Susan Houlton