Turkey Official: Agreement on Troop Deal

AP ^ | February 21, 2003 | HARMONIE TOROS

[Indy Pendance]

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's foreign minister said Friday there was broad agreement with the United States on the conditions for deploying U.S. troops in his country ahead of a possible war in Iraq.

Yasar Yakis did not say when he expected a deal to be reached, saying that depended on ongoing negotiations on some outstanding issues regarding the military, economic and political dimensions of the deployment.

"There is a very broad agreement on all subjects," Yakis said in an interview with CNN International. "The remaining issues are not that many, but I think we will be able to overcome the differences and mutually agree."

Turkish and U.S. officials have been in intense negotiations for weeks on the conditions of the deployment. Washington wants to use Turkey to open a northern front for war with Iraq and has warned Ankara that time is running out.

U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson said Friday after talks at the Foreign Ministry that the two sides were continuing to overcome obstacles.

One of the main sticking points has been the size of a U.S. aid package to compensate Turkey for losses incurred in a war, diplomats said, although military and political issues were also outstanding.

Yakis appeared confident that Turkey's parliament would ratify an agreement. If Turkey's "expectations are fulfilled, then of course it would increase the chances of the motion being approved," he said.

However, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's leading politician, said he hopes lawmakers from his ruling party would approve the deployment but he would not order them to, an official with his Justice and Development Party said Friday on condition of anonymity.

That raised the possibility that a draft authorizing the deployment could be defeated in parliament. An overwhelming majority of Turks opposed to a war in Iraq, and deputies would have difficulty justifying their decision to back a U.S. deployment to their constituencies.

Washington has been pressing for Turkey to accept a quick agreement. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday he was expecting an answer by Turkey by the end of the day - but the Turks said talks were continuing.

Turkey has demanded $10 billion in grants and $20 billion more in loans, while the United States is proposing a grant of around $6 billion.

Negotiators are discussing the possibility that some of the U.S. grant money could be converted in much larger loans, a Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Under the formula being discussed, each billion in grants that is converted would become $6 billion to $10 billion in loans, depending on the length of the loan and the amount of interest paid, the diplomat said.

Washington is also insisting that the loans be linked to a stringent program of economic reform that is backed by the International Monetary Fund. Turkey wants the U.S. aid to be separate from the IMF loans and conditions.

Turks are also worried that war in Iraq will lead to the creation of an independent Kurdish state that would boost aspirations of Turkey's Kurds.

According to the daily newspaper Hurriyet, Turkey is insisting that Iraqi Kurdish groups controlling northern Iraq be disarmed after a war under Turkish supervision.

Toughening Turkey's stance, Erdogan insisted that any agreement had to be in writing and signed by the "highest authority," Anatolia said. The Western diplomat said Washington believed that once the substance of the agreement had been reached, the form would not be a problem.

The standoff comes as U.S. ships loaded with tanks and other equipment are off the Turkish coast, ready to bring in war equipment for the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.

Turkish lawmakers have already authorized the U.S. modernization of Turkish bases and ports.

[a_Turk]

Very scary (*)

[a_Turk]

The reason as many folks voted for the party which formed the government in Turkey was that the rest of the parties are all corrupt. Religious fundamentalism barely exists in Turkey anymore. What you have instead is a state that keeps religion under strict control and does not allow religious schools to operate outside of the framework of the state.

[Marysecretary]

Apparently Turkey lost a lot of money in the last Gulf War and we didn't do much to help. Hence, the sour taste in their mouths. Do you know if this is true, Grampa Dave?

[Britton J Wingfield]

Turkey lost a hell of a lot of money due to the sanctions in Iraq. They were urging us to topple Saddam back in the first war, and then got screwed when we left him in but cut off most trade.

Also, they have to look like they drove a hard bargain, and didn't just roll over for the evil US imperialists. Easier for the public to accept that way.

[Marysecretary]

Thanks. I thought I had read that somewhere. We need to be very good to our allies. Mary

[Marysecretary]

Thanks. I thought I had read that somewhere. We need to be very good to our allies. Mary

[WaterDragon]

Our troops, headed for war, cooling their heels offshore, but suddenly (not a while back?), there needs be more guarantees and more money (and no conditions, please) and disarm the only real democracy in the area (Kurds, Northern Iraq)? Sure knocked down my perception of Turkey. Way down.

[WaterDragon]

This administration is different from Bush One's and his appeasement gang, and different from the hellish Clinton. That is not hard to figure out, either. Allies are nice. Blackmail in the middle of war is not.

[Beck_isright]

Don't let it drop your perception. This was all public posturing. On FNC and MSBSNBC all day Saturday and Sunday there were photos and video clips of US equipment unloading in Southeast Turkey. So don't worry, be happy and buy lots of popcorn and beer to watch the show. Think about the positive; 60,000 screaming Turks with 2 divisions from the U.S. hitting from the north with everything else coming from the south. It will be a short but bloody war.

[WaterDragon]

Hope you are right.

[Beck_isright]

You know, reference post #34, that reminds me of something. If Eastern Europe is free, why are we spending over $300 million a year for Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty? Why not just increse the VOA budget by $100 million??? Just a side issue that my an*l retentive Senators from Florida refuse to reply to.

[Beck_isright]

I'm pretty positive about this. I will not say anything about what my friends said on their last leave but afterwards I'll say see, I told you so, LOL.

[a_Turk]

You mean the article by Jean-Christophe Pooch ??

The guy musta worked all nite on that article not bothering to check what was happening in the world..

I think you are right about Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. As long as their signals are not being jammed, why are they needed at all?

:^D

[dfwgator]

I can't blame Turkey for holding out. To the French and Germans, they are an afterthought. But they are the only state that borders Iraq, therefore they are going to bare the full consequences of this action. They want more influence in NATO, can't say I blame them.

[Beck_isright]

You betcha, Jean-Chrisotphe Poochbs...

I spoke with a reporter friend of mine at a local paper in South Florida. He said his boss told him NOT ever to watch TV or listen to the radio because the newspapers were the best source for reporting the news!!!!

I just guess that it's true on RFE and RL. Once you create a government entity, it never goes away. What a waste of money, time and talent. Not to mention what we pay Germany for the electricity and rent for the transmitters and antenna farms.

[dinok]

Don't go away mad...just go away.

[Marysecretary]

I can't blame them either. Our last war cost them a lot of money.