Turkish President Abdullah Gul hinted Monday he was instrumental in Iran's decision to free two German journalists at the weekend.

"We would not talk about the favours we do... Certainly I made a request (to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), I spoke to him. I am grateful he did not let me down," Gul told reporters in televised remarks.

Gul paid a visit to Iran last week, during which he met with Ahmadinejad.

Turkish media reports said Gul received a positive response from the Iranian leader when he pressed for the release of the journalists upon a request by his German counterpart Christian Wulff ahead of his trip to Iran.

The two reporters were freed Saturday after a four-month detention over an interview with the son and lawyer of a woman facing death by stoning for adultery.

An Iranian court gave both 20 months in jail for acting against "national security" but then commuted the sentences to 50,000-dollar fines.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle travelled personally to Iran to retrieve the pair.

Turkey's ties with Iran have notably improved since the current Islamist-rooted government came to power in 2002.

Ankara insists for a diplomatic solution to the row over Tehran's nuclear programme and last month hosted talks between the Islamic republic and world powers, but the meeting ended with no progress.