Turkey prepares to stake claim in Iraq's oil fields - (It's the oil, stupid.)

UK Telegraph ^ | By Amberin Zaman in Ankara

[Happy2BMe]

[xJones]

Considering how the Turkish Parliment just dissed the U.S. military, they shouldn't be counting on us for support.

[Happy2BMe]

[Happy2BMe]

Polls show as much as 94 percent of the Muslim-dominated Turkish public opposes a war with Iraq.

Turkey's paliment dealt a stunning blow to U.S. war planning Saturday by voting against a bill allowing in American combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq. Before the vote, 50,000 Turks staged an anti-war rally near parliment as 4,000 police stood guard.

They chanted "No to War" and "We dont want to be America's soldiers." Some carried banners that read: The people will stop this war." Hundreds of Turks celebrated in the streets of central Ankara, shouting anti-U.S. slogans.

"We are all Iraqis . . We ill not kill, we will not die," they chanted. They also accused the Islamic-rooted Justice party of "collaborating with Washinton.

Washington had been so sure of winning approval from close ally and NATO member Turkey, that ships carrying U.S. tanks are waiting off Turkeys' coast for deployment and the U.S. military has thousands of tons of military equipment ready to unload at the southern Turksih port of Iskenderun.

For weeks, the Bush administration had been pressing Turkey to agree to a possible northern front, which would split Saddam Hussein's army between the north and the south, likely making a war shorter and less bloody.

The motion would have empowered Turkey's gobernment to authorize the basing of up to 62,000 troops, 255 warplanes, and 65 helicopters. In exchange, Washington promised $15 billion in loans and grants to cushion the Turkish economy from impact of war.

[Happy2BMe]

Turkey prepares to stake claim in Iraq's oil fields

Turkey eyes Iraqi oil fields in midst of war rumbling.

Iraqi oil fields will be prime target.

Kurdish army will try to capture nearby oil-rich areas in case of war.

Justice Looms for Saddam, Cronies

An ‘Iraq winter’ haunts Turkey

Iraqi Kurds Eye Oil Revenue Dreams

Turkey weighs economic, political costs of a Gulf war

Turkey points its N. Iraq military deployment at… the Kurds

U.S. Envoy: Turkish Troops Would Be Under Coalition Command if They Go Into Iraq

Kirkuk in The Modern Times

Turkey also wants U.S. troops to take over the Kirkuk and Mosul oil fields.

Turkey and Iran eye post-Saddam Iraq as fog of war thickens

An invitation to mayhem Potential for Turk-Kurd conflict after Saddam

[AntiGuv]

At minimum, Turkey intends to secure de facto control over the extensive oil facilities around Mosul & Kirkuk. That much has seemed patently obvious for some while. I now expect no less than half a dozen folks to sing me the praises of "Free Kurdistan"... ;)

[arete]

Looks like it is going to turn into a free-for-all to grab Iraq's oil.

Richard W.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

How outraged will France and Germany be if Turkey takes over Iraqi oil?

How about the peaceniks?

No blood for oil?

I doubt it!

Just no Americans need apply!

[George W. Bush]

It's too late for Turkey to try to take this tack. They are clearly not negotiating in good faith and harbor aggressive intent for a re-establishment of the the Ottoman Empire inasmuch as it included areas that have vast oil reserves.

The strength of the Turkish claim on Kirkuk/Mosul is on the same level as Saddam claiming in '91 that Kuwait was historically a province of Iraq and therefore he was just bringing a rebellious Iraqi province under the legitimate control of Iraq.

Turkey is starting to smell. Reek, even.

[AntiGuv]

How outraged will France and Germany be if Turkey takes over Iraqi oil?

Not in the slightest. They'll far prefer that the Turkish control the oil rather than the Americans, especially after they fund the pipeline that will carry that oil right to them through Turkey via Greece & Italy.

How about the peaceniks?

Turkey will spin this as a security operation forced on them by the United States action against Saddam's regime. The French & Germans will leap to their defense, and the peaceniks will gladly blame America for everything.

No blood for oil?

That only applies for America. But, you know that already.. ;)

[winodog]

It seems apparent that the reason the turks have stopped us from deploying is because they want to advance when the war starts and occupy more land and oil.
I doubt we have the resouces or manpower to stop them even if we would entertain the thought.
Sure sounds like the turks are using us in the south so they can steal land and oil.
I hope there is a way we can stop it.

[Happy2BMe]

Turkey wants its troops to outnumber U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq in case of a war.

[Jhoffa_]

That was my first thought also.

I mean, what they are saying here sounds allot like: "We don't want to war and we won't support the war.. We DO however wish to divide the spoils with you."

Did Kim Jong take over Turkey while we weren't looking?

[Dog Gone]

Turkey claims that it is opposed to war in Iraq while planning to invade itself.

We're not willing to see Iraq carved up with invading forces from Turkey, Iran, or anyone else.

It's a very dangerous game that Turkey is trying to play, and they had better think this through.

[arete]

Sure sounds like the turks are using us in the south so they can steal land and oil.

That's funny. We're suddenly worried that the Turks will be grabbing the oil. This is going to get very interesting.

Richard W.

[Mortimer Snavely]

By making sure that no Kurdish power base can be established and a resurgent Kurdish guerilla offensive in the South East, Turkey's acting in her own security interests. This requires denying the PKK and associated hangers-on any oil revenues. Look for a Turkish security zone established in Northern Iraq, and a revived Turkish economy to follow in a few years.

[illumini]

Maybe a KURD power base would be a GOOD idea! Maybe we should go in through Armenia via Georgia. BTW, I was on the Black Sea last September, and it would be a GREAT place to R&R as a GI.

[illumini]

Maybe a KURD power base would be a GOOD idea! Maybe we should go in through Armenia via Georgia. BTW, I was on the Black Sea last September, and it would be a GREAT place to R&R as a GI.

[Arpege92]

Turkey is not a Robin Hood, it's a Robbing Hood! Don't count on little John (that's us) to help them!!!

[Libertarianize the GOP]

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