Turkey Moves 1,000 Soldiers Into N. Iraq

AP | 3/21/03 | SUZAN FRASER

[kattracks]

Turkey Moves 1,000 Soldiers Into N. Iraq

By SUZAN FRASER .c The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey moved 1,000 soldiers into northern Iraq on Friday to beef up its forces there, a Turkish military official said. Turkey already maintains several thousand soldiers backed by a few dozen tanks in northern Iraq to chase Turkish Kurdish guerrillas. Turkey is also shifting some 5,000 soldiers to the border region, the military official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

The Turkish foreign minister said Friday his nation was determined to send its troops over the border into northern Iraq to contain a possible refugee flow and prevent any attempt by Iraqi Kurds to break away from Iraq.

Abdullah Gul's remarks came despite strong opposition in Washington to any unilateral move by Turkey into northern Iraq. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday: ``We don't see any need for any Turkish incursions into northern Iraq.''

But ``Turkish soldiers will go in,'' Gul told reporters on his return from a trip from Brussels.

Gul's statement came after Turkey agreed Friday to allow U.S. overflights for a war with Iraq, reversing an earlier decision to block Turkey's airspace because of a disagreement with the United States over a Turkish troop deployment.

Washington has warned that a Turkish incursion could lead to friendly fire incidents with U.S. forces. Iraqi Kurdish groups say the move could lead to clashes.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Turkey opened its airspace without any conditions attached, adding that the U.S. administration continued to discuss the issue of Turkish troops separately.

Turkey's Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul also said Turkish and U.S. officials would continue negotiations.

Turkey has frequently sent soldiers into northern Iraq to chase Kurdish rebels belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which fought a 15-year battle for autonomy from Turkey.

Gul said Turkey wanted to prevent Iraq's breakup and to contain a possible refugee flow within Iraq's borders.

``Turkey's Iraq policy is ... Iraq's territorial integrity, that Iraq's resources are shared by the whole population ... that a refugee flow is contained within Iraq,'' Gul said.

``Turkey has no designs whatsoever on Iraq's territory. Turkey will take measures in line with these aims,'' he said.

Turkey fears that Iraq could fragment during a war, leading Iraqi Kurds to declare independence, which could encourage Turkish Kurdish rebels.

Turkey's parliament voted Thursday to allow the United States to use the airspace, a measure that would allow strike aircraft on carriers in the Mediterranean to fly more directly into Iraq.

The resolution passed by parliament would also allow Turkey to move its own forces into northern Iraq.

[tomahawk]

Turkey: Hands off our Kurdish allies, or you will pay a heavy price.

Don't be stupid.

[Enemy Of The State]

What the hell is Turkey's problem? For a supposed ally they are doing their damnedest to make make things difficult for us. I wonder if perhaps we may have to take another look at our relationship with them as well?

[a_Turk]

>> Charles Krauthammer

Seems not to realize that the government blundered the first troop vote. They are so inept that they couldn't have planned what he suggests.

[Dog Gone]

If Turkey rolls a heavy division into Iraq, that will be extremely serious. I hope that's not the plan.

If all the delays and blockage of the transit of US troops masked a territorial grab, that will be even more serious.

For now, I'm willing to take Gul at his word, but this is about as far as Turkey had better go.

[Quix]

I have a very bad feeling about Turkey.

I hope we are super alert with them and draw a firm line beyond which we will not let them cross.

After all--they are turkeys.

[Maeve]

Yes, Mr. Krauthammer did agree with me.

The Turks have been on the losing side of most everything for a while now, and it seems that their government is determined to keep up that tradition while also keeping up their tradition of extortion and bribery.

[section9]

Why? Are we at war or something? Just relax..

I don't see what everyone is so upset about.

The Turks simply want to make sure that they have a say in what goes on at the Peace Table. They are acting in their own national interest; they are not necessarily acting against our national interests.

While the interests of Turkey and the U.S. are not the same in this war, they are roughly congruent.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Mr Crontab]

Turkey has their own interests in the area. They are similar but not congruent to ours. They are acting in what they deem to be their best interests, just like we are. They are not our vassals.

[sinkspur]

I wonder if perhaps we may have to take another look at our relationship with them as well?

It's about $$$$, of course. This was the plan all along, to occupy Northern Iraq, and shakedown the coalition in return for a retreat.

Oh, and they can kill some Kurds while they're at it.

[MattAMiller]

I'm afraid your government is making and has been making a lot of mistakes. Turkey has a lot to gain from a smooth transition to a democratic Iraq. And it has a lot to lose if things go wrong.

I hope things work out OK, but this is very worrying.

[AntiGuv]

I've been saying since mid-January that this is why the Turks didn't want a large US force in the region, but no one listened to me (actually, several people flamed me, if they bothered to notice at all..) We shall see!

[browardchad]

There's more here than meets the eye.

[Maeve]

Being our vassals might bring them better fortune than the games they have been playing that are torpedoing their economy and the value of their money.

[a_Turk]

>> It's about $$$$, of course. Oh, and they can kill some Kurds while they're at it.

Silly people, please shut up.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Don't be an idiot.

[Maeve]

Go get a brain.

[Dec31,1999]

The fantical Muslims have taken over Turkey. Get a grip.

[a_Turk]

>> I hope things work out OK, but this is very worrying.

The military has been talking sense into the government, but without moving into the parliament or making themselves a permanent fixture at their cabinet meetings..

Everytime things seemed to get to an impasse between our suits and yours, our military has set up a meeting with our suits, and the poper course was set or a viable solution was provided.

In this case, the suits were too dense to seperate the overflight fromthe troops. The generals met with them, told them to "just say yes," and then let them handle it.

Our military is educated, and pragmatic. There'll be no danger to your troops, nor ours. That's just silly talk.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Toto, you mistake me for the Scarecrow...