ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Iran was insincere in suggesting Damascus or Baghdad instead of Istanbul as possible venues for talks on its disputed nuclear programme with six world powers next week.

“The offer going round at the moment, Damascus or Baghdad, is a waste of time, it means it won't happen, because they know the other side won't come to Damascus or Baghdad,” Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara.

“We have to be honest. Because of the lack of honesty they are continually losing their international prestige,” he said. “This is not the language of diplomacy. The name of this is something else, but I won't say it here.”