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| Iraq |
| Turkish Cabinet OKs U.S. Troop Deployment |
| 2003-02-24 |
| Ending a high stakes diplomatic standoff, Turkey's Cabinet agreed Monday to the deployment of tens of thousands of U.S. combat troops ahead of a possible war in Iraq. The measure is expected to face a vote in Turkey's parliament on Tuesday. If the cabinet approved it, the parliament most likely will. The announcement comes as U.S. ships loaded with tanks and other armor awaited orders off the Turkish coast. It followed a more than six-hour Cabinet meeting, a sign of the deep difficulties during the U.S.-Turkish talks. The agreement to allow the troops in has been delayed by weeks of tense negotiations. The deadlock was finally broken late last week, when Washington offered Turkey $5 billion in aid and $10 billion in loans to cushion the Turkish economy from the impact of any war. The check must of cleared. Washington wants to use Turkey to open a northern front in a war in Iraq, a strategy that would divide the Iraqi army. A U.S. official said talks between the two sides on the details of the agreement are expected to continue throughout the day. Turkish leaders have demanded assurances that the fall of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will not lead to the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. A Kurdish state, Turkey fears, will boost aspirations of Turkey's Kurdish rebels. To prevent this, Turkey wants to send tens of thousands of troops into northern Iraq in case of war. Ankara also fears that a war will push hundreds of thousands of refugees toward Turkey. Many observers say the military move may actually aim at preventing the creation of a Kurdish state in the autonomous areas of northern Iraq that border Turkey. Yup. Kurdish groups living in those areas say they strongly oppose any Turkish deployment. If they are smart, they'll just verbally oppose it. Turkey and the United States also are still discussing command of any Turkish troops in northern Iraq, the disarmament after a war of Iraqi Kurdish groups and the control of two northern Iraqi oil fields, Turkey's Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the governing Justice and Development Party, has said that he would not order his lawmakers to vote in favor of the deployment. He said he hoped "his friends would act toward the authorization." The Justice party has a large majority in parliament. "My friends, I will not tell you you have to vote in favor of this resolution, but the guys in the other room wearing uniforms would really like you too." On Monday, a NATO mission to help defend Turkey against a potential Iraqi attack got under way with the departure of a planeload of equipment and support units from Germany. Turkey, a member of NATO, fears that Baghdad might launch a counterattack if it supports the United States. The Iraqis said they would consider it an act of war if Turkey allowed US forces to use Turkey as a base for an attack. We'll see if they follow through. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 As a matter of fact Fred, Abdullah just ordered new parliamentary elections |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-24 13:27:21 |
| #4 While I have a good bit of sympathy for Ankara's problems, at a certain point they're going to have to deal with the Kurds as being a real group of people; not just Turks who are unclear as to their identity. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-02-24 12:23:26 |
| #3 From what I've read, the Kurds have succeeded in establishing a pretty well functioning "state within a state" in their autonomous area. When we make out comments about the lack of democracy in the Middle East, "Kurdistan" can't rightly be included in the generalization. To me, that puts it in the same category as Turkey and Israel and, ummm... Jordan, to an extent. Can't think of any other that are actual working democracies at the moment, though some of the Gulf States seem to be working up to it. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-02-24 11:56:36 |
| #2 The problem of the Kurdish State will anyway be a great one, after the war. We will need to think creatively to avoid another sore. |
| Posted by: Poitiers 2003-02-24 11:40:30 |
| #1 The Kurds have been a far more successful state than Somalia has been recently. And fred's right: "Kurdistan" is a vision of what Iraq has the potential of being once Saddam is gone. A pretty sight for western eyes, and a sore sight for wahhabi ones... |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-02-24 19:51:44 |