I had read that the Turkish govt. wanted a larger payment or shakedown from Uncle Sam to allow us to use their country to go into Iraq.
We balked at the sum and told the turks to shove it.
We balked at the sum and told the turks to shove it.
That was only part of the story. The French simultaneously promised to sponsor their way into the EU if they stayed out.
Of course, we both know what happens when you trust the French: you get screwed.
So it was one of two ways:
Here on FR, it's popular to select the second option. But I think the first option is probably closer to the truth.