Posted on 03/13/2002 2:59:12 AM PST by zandtar
Bush thanks Turkey for support in anti-terrorism war
President George W. Bush has thanked close ally-Turkey for allowing U.S. warplanes to use its air bases for refuelling in the U.S. military campaign against terrorism.
Bush was speaking at a commemoration ceremony in the White House late on Monday, six months after the Sept. 11 attacks killed thousands in New York and Washington. The United States staged a military strike on Afghanistan less than a month later for hiding the prime suspects of the attacks, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.
The Anatolia news agency said that the U.S. President in his address praised the countries that had backed the U.S. retaliation campaign after the Sept. 11. He mentioned Turkey by name among the supporters and thanked Ankara. "The Turkish Armed Forces helped with the refuelling of our warplanes," the agency quoted him as saying.
Sole Muslim NATO-member Turkey was the first country that declared full support for Washington in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks by opening its air bases to U.S. fighters. Turkey itself had fought a separatist terrorist campaign conducted by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) between 1984 and 1999.
Faruk Logoglu, the Turkish Ambassador to Washington, was among the three ambassadors who delivered speeches at White House commemoration, the agency said. "We have not forgotten that the United States has perceived our own struggle against terrorism in the right way," it quoted Logoglu as saying.
Logoglu said Turkey's presence in the international peace keeping force in Afghanistan was evidence that the U.S. anti-terrorism combat was not targeting Islamic countries. Turkey last month sent some 26 troops to the war-torn country.
The Turkish ambassador said that Turkey was ready to do more in Afghanistan with the help of the international community. Turkey wants to take over the command of the Afghan peacekeeping force if assurances on the funding and the tasking of the forces are given.
Ankara - Turkish Daily News
some 26 troopstypo?
Which will all be answering "Yes Sir" to their Turkish commanders pretty soon. LOL! 8)
insteade of opposing U.S. anti-terrorist ambitions.
EU and Greece refuse to freeze N17's assets, even though it's a recognized terrorist group. Turkey arrests their citizens involved, and combats the PKK. Turkey sits in on the US sponsored drug enforcement meeting, not a soul from the EU shows up.
Like the cliche goes, actions speak louder then words.
You mean as reference to the anti-drug meeting the US pulled together where none of the EU nations showed up? Like I've said, actions speak louder then words. We just saw the "commitment" of the EU versus the drug trade. Heck we've already seen reports of human slavery going on in EU nations. So I suppose the EU's lack of desire to tackle drug problems is along those same lines.
-First non-US or UK troops on the soil in Afghanistan.
-Refueled US aircraft during the missions going on over the past 6 months.
-Is in talks of taking over the Peacekeeping role from the US and UK, to allow them to move on to stage 2.
-Has commited more men and material then the single Frigate nation.
As for the last point, it's once again your double standards. You say to count the crew on the solitary Frigate, but you don't count the support teams or aircraft crew of those involved with the HUNDREDS of refueling missions performed. More yota/oxi-nato double-standards and hypocracy.
Turkey has no choice but to follow Washington's lead. Without the USA Turkey would not last for long.
We can only wait for the time when the US realizes who its friends really are...and they are most certainly not the Turks!
Lets see... the President of the United States recognizes their alliance to the cause and their friendship. The Department of Defense does as well. So does the US Congress.
Quick quiz for everyone.
Who makes policy for the United States of America:
a) The President of the United States.
b) The Congress and Legislative branches.
c) The Department of Defense during wartimes.
d) The Judicial branches.
e) a-d
f) eleni121
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