Turkey says Iran nuclear talks will resume

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Turkey's foreign minister says Iran has agreed to resume talks on the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he has talked with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton about his recent visit to Tehran and expects nuclear talks with Iran to resume as soon as possible.

"Both parties agreed in principle to hold talks in Turkey, and I hope negotiations will begin as soon as possible," Davutoglu said in an interview published Sunday in Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper, Today's Zaman reported Monday.

Davutoglu visited Tehran last week and delivered a Western offer to Iranian authorities to resume negotiations that had stalled a year ago.

Davutoglu said his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi "responded in kind" and said Iran was ready to return to talks with major world powers at a time and place agreed on by both sides, Today's Zaman said.