Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Turkey for nuclear, bilateral talks

Istanbul: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday met with his Turkish counterpart in a bid to improve ties between the Islamic Republic and the Nato ally.

Relations between the two countries have improved since Turkey's Islamic rooted leadership took power in 2002. Previous governments had for decades accused Iran of trying to export its radical Islamic regime to secular Turkey, which is aspiring to join the European Union.

Ahmadinejad held talks in Istanbul with Turkish President Abdullah Gul at the start of the two-day visit, his first to Turkey since he came to power in 2005.

Turkey and Iran agreed in May to build a new gas pipeline to ensure a reliable supply to Turkey. Ahmad Noorani, an official at the Iranian Embassy in Ankara, said last week the deal could be signed during the visit, but there was no confirmation Thursday.

Washington opposes any new energy deal between Iran and Turkey saying it could send the wrong message while the West threatens a fourth round of sanctions over Tehran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment. It fears Iran could develop a nuclear weapon.

Turkey, neighboring Iran, has said it is not opposed to the nuclear program if it is only for civil use.

The United States also opposes plans for Turkish investment in Iran's South Pars gas fields and the Islamic Republic selling its gas in European markets via an US-backed pipeline through Turkey.

Turkey's military regards a nuclear Iran as a possible security threat but has shared intelligence with Iran as the two countries staged simultaneous attacks against their common enemy, Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq.