| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Turkey calls weekend debate |
| 2003-03-13 |
| The Turkish parliament is being called to sit this weekend, as international attention focuses on a possible second vote on US troop deployment. The motion was narrowly rejected on 1 March, halting US preparations for a northern front in any war against Iraq. Newly-appointed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted that he may reintroduce the motion, although on Wednesday Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis made clear there was no guarantee of this. Turkey has negotiated a huge financial compensation package from the US if the deployment goes ahead, but public opinion is not in favour. Correspondents say Mr Erdogan, named as prime minister earlier this week after a by-election victory at the weekend, may not wish to be seen flouting public opinion or the will of parliament by pushing too hard for the deployment. The unusual weekend sitting of parliament may, however, raise US hopes that the government is moving towards a second vote. Parliament would sit from Friday to Monday, said an official from the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party. Several parliamentary moves must still be taken before any vote. Mr Erdogan must first confirm his new cabinet team — currently expected by Friday. Its proposed programme would then have to be presented to parliament, where a formal confidence vote would take place. Only after that would the troops motion be sent back to parliament. Turkey's previous cabinet did approve the measures after weeks of hard-fought negotiations with the US. The motion also allowed for Turkish troops to cross into northern Iraq in the event of war, to secure Kurdish areas and help manage the expected wave of refugees. A northern front is considered key by US military planners, who believe it would shorten any war and minimise casualties. But the international furore over a second resolution could have an impact on the Turkish decision-making. Turkish President Necdet Sezer announced weeks ago that no deployment could take place without a second UN security council resolution, as it would lack legimitacy. Under the Turkish constitution, foreign troops may only be accepted and Turkish troops deployed abroad if the action has international legitimacy. BBC Defence Correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the Turkish military is thought to be eager to help the US, but at the political level, the Turks seem now to be raising additional concerns about the use of their air space in any conflict — something that would have a significant impact on US war plans. Ankara, he says, is holding out for assurances about its long-term strategic interests in the region and about the fate of the Turkmen minority in post-war Iraq. If Erdogan wants a say in what happens after the war, he better move fast. The clock's ticking. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 There still seems to be movement of equipment going on into Turkey, according to reports: Meanwhile, American ships anchored off Iskenderun continue to unload vehicles and other military hardware. Turkey's private NTV television channel reports daily on continued activity around the port, showing lines of civilian Turkish trucks heavily loaded with U.S. equipment streaming towards the Iraqi border. Kurdish media say part of this equipment, including missile batteries and other heavy weapons, has already reached Iraqi Kurdistan, which is beyond Baghdad's control. On 7 March, Istanbul's daily "Hurriyet" reported that most convoys leaving Iskenderun were heading for Mardin, a city located some 30 kilometers north of the Iraqi border. The paper speculated that should Turkey eventually ban massive U.S. deployment, all equipment stored there could easily be transferred to northern Iraq's Kurdish areas. Other Turkish media report that U.S. military hardware is reaching Mardin through the Mediterranean port of Mersin and Incirlik, the southern air base that American and British aircraft have been using for the past 12 years to enforce Iraq's northern no-fly zone. The AP yesterday reported that the Pentagon had already set up two logistics bases in Turkey's southeast. The activities of the 4,000 U.S. soldiers believed to be deployed in the region are reportedly under strict Turkish military control. Turkey's Army General Staff, which backs the possible deployment of American troops, claims ongoing U.S. preparations cannot be considered illegal because they are covered by a bilateral memorandum of understanding signed after parliament gave its go-ahead to the upgrading of military facilities. Details of the memorandum have never been published. I figured that there were loopholes in that agreement big enough to drive a tank through. Wonder how busy those Kurdish Air Force bases are? |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-03-13 14:09:09 |