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Posted on 01/02/2003 6:08:35 AM PST by OutSpot
ANKARA — Turkey has sent an additional 100 main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers into northern Iraq.
The military convoy began moving over the weekend as armored vehicles crossed the Khabour Gate on the Iraqi-Turkish border. Turkey is said to have already sent more than 15,000 troops in northern Iraq in preparation for a U.S.-led war against the regime of President Saddam Hussein.
Turkish government sources said Ankara has also sent a range of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, artillery and combat vehicles to northern Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the military has also flown military equipment to southern Turkish air bases at Baker and Batman.
Ankara has agreed in principle to cooperate with the United States to topple the Saddam regime. But Turkey has not formally relayed such a decision to Washington until parliament votes on the issue.
A 150-member U.S. military delegation is scheduled to tour Turkish air bases for the deployment of U.S. aircraft near the Iraqi-Turkish border. Washington has asked Ankara for six military bases and additional sea ports for the war effort.
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to arrive in Ankara next week for talks with Turkish civilian and military leaders. Myers's visit will concentrate on preparations for a war against Baghdad.
The focus of the U.S. military preparations is taking place at the Incerlik air force base. Turkish newspapers report that the air base is being expanded and refurbished for B-2 bombers and other large U.S. warplanes.
The Turkish sources said the military is also continuing its military buildup along the Syrian border. They said the buildup is meant to stop the flow of refugees from Syria, regarded as Baghdad's leading ally in the Middle East.
Movement across the boder is already occurring (also note that the date in the article still has the legacy "2002")
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Glad they're on our side.
The only way to act in a non-unilateral fashion is if the French are given command of the operation.
That would actually be a good idea..........200 years ago. 
Thanks for the post and especially for the photo.
The article seems to indicate that the Turks have already invaded Iraq. If so then Myer's visit would seem to be about the ongoing war since it apparently is already in progress.
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!
Actually the Turks don't like Saddam or the Kurds. The Kurds don't like Turkey or Saddam. Par for the course in that part of the world.
The Kurds want a homeland. Turkey, with an already sizable Kurdish population, doesn't want part of their country to become Kurdistan. They don't like the thought of a Kurdish neighbor cheering on Turkish Kurds to revolt.
Turkey would best be served by a new government in Iraq that is accepting of the Kurds, but not Kurdish controlled. If the new government looks to be anti-Kurd, Turkey will be flooded with Kurdish refugees unless they stop them at the border.
I would say that this troup movement is duel-purposed. A show of support for getting rid of Saddam, but also a "protect the borders" move. If they had stayed on their side, then it would have only been the latter.
I think that the Kurdish situation has already been resolved and that We have not yet been informed about the solution to the problem. Such an enterprise as is currently underway would not be undertaken unless the Kurd loose end was already pretty much resolved among the parties including Iraq. The fact Saddam is not responding means he has already written the Kurds and their territory off as undefensable.
The war will occur around Bagdad. All the rest has already been given up.
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