Posted on 03/11/2003 11:07:04 AM PST by HAL9000
ANKARA, Turkey (AP)--The leader of Turkey's Islamic-rooted ruling party and a backer of deployment of U.S. forces in the country for a possible war with Iraq was named prime minister Tuesday.Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who won a seat in parliament with a huge victory in weekend by-elections, will now form a government to replace that of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who, as expected, stepped aside earlier Tuesday.
An overwhelming majority of Turks oppose war with Iraq, a sentiment that has strained relations between NATO-member Turkey and the United States.
Washington was shocked earlier this month when the Turkish parliament narrowly voted down a proposal for basing 62,000 American soldiers in Turkey to open a northern front against Saddam Hussein in case of war.
Turkey is NATO's only Muslim member and the only one bordering Iraq.
Analysts expect Erdogan to purge the Cabinet members who opposed basing rights and has hinted that he favored resubmitting a motion to parliament to give U.S. soldiers the go-ahead to deploy, which was rejected earlier this month.
When asked about possible changes in the Cabinet, Erdogan said: ``Perhaps there will be a small amount of change, a certain number of revisions'' but gave no details.
Erdogan said he would submit a Cabinet list to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ``as soon as possible.'' Gul will remain prime minister until Sezer approves the list.
Erdogan could not run in the November general elections because of a conviction for inciting religious hatred, but party legislators have since amended the constitution to lift the ban.
Gul's resignation was long expected. He formed a government after Turkey's November elections but made it clear that he would make way for the more popular Erdogan when he was eligible to run for office.
The change of government comes as Washington presses Turkey to allow U.S. troops to use its territory as a staging point for an invasion of Iraq from the north. Ships carrying equipment for the troops are already off the Turkish coast.
Parliament stunned the United States when it rejected the deployment March 1. Gul, who is expected to take a top post in the new government, said the new government would take up the issue quickly.
``As soon as the government is formed, I am sure they will review the issue in the best way and act in the best interest of Turkey,'' Gul said in a television interview.
If war breaks out, Turkey will not just be a ``spectator,'' Gul said. But he added that ``it is necessary to very carefully follow the process at the United Nations.''
Erdogan called President Bush on Monday after the election victory, the U.S. Embassy said. Bush pressed him to open Turkey to U.S. troops, the daily Hurriyet reported.
Rebuffing the United States risks straining ties with Washington and losing a say in Iraq's future. As part of a troop deployment deal, Turkey is also set to receive a $15 billion U.S. aid package to help cushion the frail economy from the impact of war.
Analysts believe the election victory has strengthened Erdogan's hand with his party legislators. Erdogan is also likely to exclude ministers opposed to the U.S. troop deployment from his Cabinet, reports say.
But hours after his triumph, Erdogan appeared to be in no great hurry about a second motion, saying Turkey needed more assurances from Washington on the future of neighboring Iraq before it could authorize the deployment.
During Gul's brief term, Erdogan strongly influenced policy, and Cabinet ministers including Gul often consulted him after key meetings. It was Erdogan, and not Gul, whom Bush invited to the White House after the Islamic-rooted Justice party came to power following the November elections.
Copyright 2003, The Associated Press.
OK, what am I missing here? Is it me or does this string of facts seem somewhat inconsistent?
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