Turkish Parliament OKs Troops for Iraq

AP ^ | 10/7/2003 | SUZAN FRASER

[a_Turk]

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to give the government permission to send troops to Iraq (news - web sites), a move that could lead to the first contingent of Muslim peacekeepers being sent to Iraq.

Lawmakers voted 358-183 in a closed-door session in favor of dispatching troops, which would help patch up damaged ties with Washington and give Turkey a say in ruling Iraq.

The motion gives the government the authority to send troops for a year, but does not specify how many troops would be deployed or when. Washington has asked Turkey to contribute some 10,000 soldiers.

The vote does not mean that soldiers will immediately be dispatched. The government is still negotiating the terms of deployment with the United States, which could take weeks or even longer.

Iraqis have expressed deep concern over the prospect of a Turkish deployment. Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council on Tuesday drafted a resolution opposing a Turkish deployment, but it delayed issuing it — apparently after pressure from Iraq's American administrators.

Kurds in northern Iraq have long had tensions with Turkey. Other Iraqis are concerned about any neighboring nation — which would have its own interests — helping occupy Iraq.

Parliament's vote was a victory for the Turkish government, which had sought to avoid a repeat of the debacle before the Iraq war. In March, after months of talks with Washington, the government asked Parliament to let U.S. troops deploy in Turkey for use in the Iraq war. That motion failed by just four votes despite the government's huge majority in parliament, sparking tensions with the United States.

[a_Turk]

ping..

[epluribus_2]

I think a nice stay in Falluja and Tikrit for these nice Ottoman boys would be a good way to start the new phase of the occupation. How do you say "Yes, Sir, here is where Sadama is hiding" in turkish?

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[.cnI redruM]

Cool tag line. Is that album still in circulation anywhere?

[Clemenza]

I love the Turks. Good soldiers (ask any Korean war vet), good looking women (at least I think so) and great hospitality towards Americans, whether in Turkey or overseas (the Turkish restaurants in my area are always giving me free stuff).

As I've said on other threads, I often wish that the Ottomans had defeated TE Lawrence in WWI. Come to think of it, if the central powers would have won WWI, we would have been spared Hitler, Lenin and the crazy Arabs.

[rface]

too bad it took so long - but I am glad to see this notheless.

[a_Turk]

They aren't Ottoman boys.. And there will be girls too, to do the body searching of any women..

They will be under Turkish command. The two commands have already exchanged liaisons.

It will be a tightrope act.

I like the fact that the headcount is not part of the bill.

[a_Turk]

Available at your favorite record store :)

I haven't been able to find Pyramid anywhere though..

[Truth666]

This isn't good news - turks, being neighbors, would be the last choice - remember geostrategic rule #1 ...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Good news!

[.cnI redruM]

It's probably in the same discount rack with Vulture Culture.

[Mortimer Snavely]

There's a chance now for a satisfactory outcome to this whole mess. Syria and Iran will be further intimidated, for starters.

[a_Turk]

You haven't got the luxury to go by any textbook.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this good news.

Good to have the Turks back as our allies in these post war events. They did a great job in Afghanistan.

[Mortimer Snavely]

Hopefully there will be a lot of Turkish civics teachers in the schools, teaching the principles of political freedom to kids and teenagers. There is an opportunity here to establish the ideology necessary to create the first Arabic speaking democracy in history.

[Truth666]

Iraq's US-backed Governing Council unanimously rejects the sending of Turkish troops to the country, council member Mahmud Othman said today.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996743/posts

[a_Turk]

RE: Iraq's US-backed Governing Council [insert anything here, it won't mean a thing]

On second thought, I'll correct myself.. You may insert "can be replaced," which would actually be very meaningful. Bremer should privately suggest calling for elections next month and watch the rubber duckies line up in short order..

Look, we've done our part. Now it's your turn to see what you can do with it. What would Condi do?

[ConservativeMan55]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996111/posts