|
Turkish News Reports
These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 10, 2003.Sharif Ali bin Hussein, the leader of Constitutional Royal Movement, and Ayad Allawi, the leader of Iraqi National Compromise, the opponent groups that aim to overthrow Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, will come Turkey in the beginning of next week. Ankara permitted groups who will attend opponents conference in Irbil city in north of Iraq on January 15, to reach the region via Turkey. Opponents will conduct important contacts in Ankara while they proceed to Iraq. While the government is going to give a message to Saddam Hussein by sending State Minister Kursat Tuzmen to Baghdad, it follows a contradictory policy by holding direct contact with opponents who aim to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Keeping both options, war/peace, open. Turkey and the United States reached compromise on memorandum of understanding necessary for site-survey at Diyarbakir, Mus and Batman bases and Iskenderun and Mersin ports which are expected to be used during possible military operation against Iraq. A 150-member U.S. military group is expected to start site-surveys shortly after signing of memorandum of understanding today. The United States said that bases in Turkey would be ready in 45 days. The memorandum of understanding on rules that 150 U.S. soldiers who will inspect bases and ports in Turkey will obey is complete: If soldiers commit a crime, Turkey has the right to try the soldiers. The General Staff received a letter from the Prime Minister for signing of the memorandum of understanding referring to NATO principles. They'll fall under the same Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA)that other U.S. troops stationed there do. Washington said that ''positive result should be given in the possible shortest time.'' Ankara is awaiting. Turkish Armed Forces says, ''the worst decision is better than indecisiveness.'' U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman told Turkey's Ambassador in Washington Faruk Logoglu on January 6 that if Turkey supported the United States, intervention to Iraq would last short and there would not be so much loss. Grossman said that they would support Turkey's economy and Turkey would have the right to speak when the region was being shaped up. Otherwise, he said, the operation would cost too much. Help us and we'll be out of your hair in no time. By the way, the checks in the mail. Prime Minister Gul did not respond a question about a news story claiming that if Turkey did not allow dispatch of U.S. troops to Northern Iraq via its territories, the dispatch would be made via the Greek Cypriot side. Humm, we're playing the Greek card. That's like rubbing salt in a open wound to the Turks. Cyprus could be used as a air base, but it's no good for a ground force. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-10 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=9165 |