(Reuters) - An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said on Tuesday that Tehran was willing to share its controversial nuclear technology with
neighboring countries, suggesting it could help Turkey build an atomic power plant.
The United States, European Union and their allies suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and, along with the U.N. Security Council, have imposed sanctions to try to stop it from enriching uranium. But Tehran says its nuclear program is to generate electric power and refuses to halt it.
"Iran developed a very sophisticated nuclear science and technological capability, which we are quite ready to share with ... neighboring countries and friendly countries in the region," the adviser, Mohammad Javad Larijani, said.
"Turkey is for years trying to have a nuclear power plant but no country in the West is willing to build that for them," Larijani told reporters. "This is true for our Arab (neighbors) in the region."
"We are ready to cooperate with them in this regard, while within the NPT." He was referring to the 1968 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which aims to prevent the spread of atomic weapons technology.
"We can produce (nuclear power plants) together, share the electricity," he told Reuters in an interview. "This is also a source of income for us. It is not (just) Westinghouse that can build a nuclear facility, or Canada. Islamic Republic of Iran also is ready to build (a) nuclear facility."
"Also we can produce fuel," he said. "We think about this commercial value in the future."
Larijani said Iran did not have a "concrete proposal" for nuclear cooperation with Turkey or another state at the moment though he said Tehran had made its willingness to help known.
There was no immediate response to a request for a reaction to Larijani's remarks from the Turkish U.N. mission.
Iran ready to help Turkey with nuclear plant: aide | Reuters
One way or another we will get those reactors
