Iran has asked Ankara to help improve ties between Washington and Tehran, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview published Wednesday.

Speaking to The Guardian newspaper aboard his prime ministerial plane, Erdogan said the Iranian request had been made when former president George W. Bush was in office, and added that he had passed along the details of Tehran's request to Washington.

He also challenged Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Palestinians' right to their own state.

"Iran does want Turkey to play such a role," Erdogan told the daily on a trip to Mardin, in the southeast of the country, during a local election campaign.

"And if the United States also wants and asks us to play this role, we are ready to do this. They (Iran) said to us that if something like this (an opportunity to better ties) would happen, they want Turkey to play a role.

"These were words that were said openly. But I have told this to President Bush myself."

In November, Erdogan said Turkey could play a positive role if it were to act as a mediator in the stalled negotiations with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme.

But he did not say if he had had any response from the US administration on its proposal.

Erdogan also challenged hawkish Likud party leader Netanyahu to endorse a Palestinian state: "We are always telling them (Hamas) to act differently, that we are for a two-state solution: Palestine and Israel."

"They have to accept this, but Israel also has to accept Palestine."

He continued: "Is Israel right now accepting Palestine? They are still not accepting them. But it is being expected of the Palestinian people to accept Israel. Now go and ask Mr Netanyahu if he is accepting Palestine."