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| Iraq |
| Turkish Press Reports for Tuesday |
| 2003-03-18 |
| FIRST REFUGEE INFLOW TO TURKISH BORDER Refugee inflow started in Northern Iraq toward Turkish border. The first refugee inflow, which started in Kirkuk and Mousul, came to Dahuk. The U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called on the U.N. personnel in Iraq to be evacuated after the 24-hour ultimatum given to the U.N. The U.N. observers in Kuwaiti border were withdrawn, and embassies in Baghdad are closed down one after the other. Foreigners depart from the country. TURKISH-U.S. RELATIONS ARE GOING THROUGH AN EXAMINATION President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said Turkish-U.S. relations, which reached to the level of strategical partnership, were going through an examination, ''proving its strength and force''. Sezer sent a written message to the Annual Conference of the Turkish-American Council. In his message, Sezer said, ''Turkish-U.S. relations, which are based on mutual values in a rooted and successful alliance, and which reached to the level of strategical partnership in the period after the Cold War, are going through an examination proving its strength and force.'' Sezer in the message stated that Turkey and the United States once again made close cooperation aiming to provide peace and stability in the Middle East. Sezer also said friendship between the people of Turkey and the United States deepened gradually. HEADLONG MOTION The government which appears reluctant to do something about the issue of motion on stationing of U.S. troops in Turkey gave up this position upon the United States' ultimatum for Iraq and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement: ''Don't wait for vote of confidence. Pass the motion before the first bomb hits Iraq''. The Council of Ministers which will convene in an extraordinary meeting today is expected to urgently send the motion to the parliament. ''YES'' TO UNITED STATES Summit of the state began to take action after the United States sent a message calling on Ankara to take a decision to determine its side pertaining to action against Iraq. The United States said, ''think of all the economic and political results of your decision.'' President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, and Deputy Undersecretary responsible for Iraq department Ali Tuygan participated in the summit in Cankaya Palace. The participants agreed to send the motion to Parliament soon, and Erdogan called on the Council of Ministers extraordinarily to convene on Tuesday to discuss motion. SYRIA HANDS OVER TERRORISTS Syrian authorities captured Selahattin Canavar, the terrorist of PKK/KADEK responsible for Syria, and Hayri Kaner, the terrorist responsible for Lebanon and handed over the terrorists to Turkey. The Syrian authorities captured the two terrorists and handed them over to Turkey after keeping them under custody for some time. Security officials said Adana Agreement, which had been signed in 1998, began to yield in results gradually. They said, ''recent developments are indications of this. Syrian authorities target full cooperation with Turkey.'' Kurdish terrorists who were causing problems for Syria. Dumping them on the Turks before the war starts. Most likely hoping to stir up trouble between the Turks and Kurds that would strain relations with the US. Clever and devious. MOTION ON WAR President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul signaled the new motion by saying, ''war has reached inevitable level beyond Turkey's will''. Permission to the United States for use of Turkey's airspace and acceptance of foreign soldiers is on the agenda. After extraordinarily busy hours in Ankara, senior state officials came together at the Presidential Palace. Sezer, Erdogan, Ozkok and Gul paved the way for adoption of new motion on deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey. The decision taken at this summit meeting was announced by Presidential Palace spokesman Tacan Ildem: ''apart from Turkey's expectation and will, a process of military intervention has started. There is a consensus that the government should immediately take necessary steps under the National Security Council's recommendations on January 31.'' At this summit meeting, it was also mentioned that new motion might be adopted before the vote of confidence. "Go ahead, we'll get the votes later." ANKARA AND KURDISH GROUPS ARE CLOSE TO AGREEMENT Turkey will meet with some Iraqi opposition groups and the United States officials before the war which is getting closer. It was reported that problems between Ankara and the Kurdish groups were overcome to a great extend in contacts held before the summit. Critical issues like future of Northern Iraq and activities of Turkish soldiers in the region would be discussed at the meeting. A second meeting, in which Shiite and Arab opposition in Iraq will participate, is expected to take place tomorrow. AK PARTY TO EXPEND FULL SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT FOR MOTION Justice and Development Party Central Executive Board decided to expend full support to the government regarded with motion on war which was brought onto the agenda once again. The board members, who visited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gave the message that, ''we will back you whatever decision you take.'' The fix is in this time. POWELL URGES AKP GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT US TROOP DEPLOYMENT, REITERATES US COMMITMENT TO IRAQâS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY Speaking at a Washington press conference yesterday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that negotiations between Turkey and the US on the Iraq issue were still continuing. âWe are in the closest touch with [the new Turkish government] on the possibility of resubmission [of a proposal to deploy US troops in Turkey], and [Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan] has committed to do that at a time that he believes is appropriate,â said Powell. âAnd we have also assured the Turks that in anything the future might hold, we are committed to the territorial integrity of Iraq.â Later Powell made a telephone call to Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, reportedly telling him that the US administration wanted Parliament to approve the proposals on cooperation with the US military as soon as possible. I'm hopeful now that we'll get permission for overflights and troop deployment. Looks like the Turkish government may allow deployment to begin before a vote. Hope they have time. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 Guess I won't have to return my drapes to the Turkish embassy, after all. Good, I really liked them. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-18 12:09:49 |
| #1 Hmm, EU America EU America There's a new book coming out by Germans saying that the EU is dying. Surprising, I know --- NOT! |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-18 12:09:09 |