Turkey states intention to back U.S. war plans

International Herald Tribune ^ | Februari 05 2003 | Dexter Filkins/The New York Times

[knighthawk]

ISTANBUL The Turkish prime minister said Wednesday that his government would ask Parliament later this month to allow American troops to use the country for an attack on Iraq, marking the first time the government had publicly declared its intentions to back American war plans.

Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that his government had all but given up on diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq and had decided to join the United States in its plans to confront Baghdad by military means, according to a transcript of the meeting.

"We believe that in line with our national interests, we should act together with our strategic ally, the United States," Gul said in Ankara. "It was a very hard decision, we had sleepless nights, but there was nothing left to be done for a peaceful solution."

The decision appeared to end weeks of anguished deliberation among Turkish leaders on the issue.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Capitalist Eric]

And so it begins....

[facedown]

bump

[xJones]

Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that his government had all but given up on diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq and had decided to join the United States in its plans to confront Baghdad by military means, according to a transcript of the meeting.

Here we go.

[prairiebreeze]

We needed Turkey on board. This is good.

[spokeshave]

So Greeks join France and Germany on the bench

[Dog Gone]

"Later this month" doesn't cut it.

Do it THIS week.

[a_Turk]

We're not done dealing, obviously. What was your stance on Cyprus?

[Dog Gone]

If Turkey wants to hold the Cyprus issue hostage to the Iraqi issue, we'll have to make other plans. The US does not hold a magic wand to solve all of Turkey's domestic and foreign policy issues.

[a_Turk]

Bummer.

[pkpjamestown]

So Turkey is dealing the Cyprus issue with the US....

I don't think there is anything to deal about Cyprus, right now. Cyprus will stay as is, until the end of 2004. The Cypriots want to wait until the new political system in Iraq is put in practice, and get ideas for use in their own new system.

When are the next elections in Turkey? It seems that they are coming up soon! Did you start working on your own, new political system?

[Mortimer Snavely]

Turkey was the first country to do anything about Iraq in Gulf War One: the day after the Kuwait invasion, she closed her border with Iraq, losing a major trading partner, and suffering an economic body blow from which she has yet to recover. Since this received very little, if any, acknowledgement in the West, particularly in the US, I would imagine that your average Istanbul shop keeper's attitude is something along the lines of "No good deed goes unpunished," and this attitude manifests itself as widespread Turkish distrust of another Bush in the White House, a strong reluctance to participate with the US in Gulf War Two, and a generally diffused anxiousness over US unpredictability.

This time the Turks will be more self reliant, pursuing her own policy objectives in Iraq, which includes lots and lots of tanks and soldiers on and over the border, ready for trouble, poised to attack. Now that that's been taken care of, Turkey's a lot more comfortable allowing more US troops to operate from Turkey proper.