|
Turkey gives up on Iraq deployment
Confirmed by TurkishPress.com, so it looks like a done deal. Turkeyâs President Ahmad Necdet Sezer considers the controversial issue of deploying Turkish troops in neighbouring Iraq as "closed." It was the first time a Turkish statesman had indicated a serious setback in the deployment plan although the statement did not spell out whether the president thought troops would ultimately be sent or not. "For me this question is closed," Sezer said on Wednesday at a reception marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish republic. The United States originally asked Ankara for military help in Iraq, but then appeared to back-pedal on the idea in the face of opposition from Iraqâs governing council. "It is very difficult to reconcile the necessary conditions for deploying troops," Sezer was quoted as saying. Seeing as the locals didnât like you guys a whole lot. Canât imagine why. Turkeyâs parliament three weeks ago voted in favour of the deployment despite widespread public opposition, with some 80% of the public against dispatching soldiers. On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul accused the US of ineptly handling the issue. From a certain perspective, we handled it very well. "We are not going to undertake anything as long as there are hesitations ⊠everything concerning us should be very clear, everybody should say yes," Gul said. Faced with opposition from Iraqâs interim leadership, the US is no more seen to be pushing for the Turkish troops. Many Turkish politicians, including ministers, have expressed relief at the prospect of shelving the deployment plan, which has also come under fire from fellow Muslim nations. Iraqis get what they want, Turks get what they want, and Bush gets to point at uncooperative nations that hinder our bringing the boys home. Posted by: Steve White 2003-10-30 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=20536 |