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| Axis of Evil |
| Turkish News Reports |
| 2003-01-10 |
| 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 |
| #6 For the record, the Associated Press reported (Jan. 10) that Turkey has finally agreed on the terms for the 150-man contingent. No mention of what exactly the arrangements are, or anything about the legal status question. |
| Posted by: Nik Karanikos 2003-01-11 00:31:23 |
| #5 I stand both corrected and educated. Thanks. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2003-01-10 15:52:24 |
| #4 Where do we sign? |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-01-10 15:07:55 |
| #3 Just to give you a further measure of Turkish "cooperation" in times such as these: According to one of the largest-circulation Turkish dailies, "Milliyet" (Jan 8), a 150-man strong US military advance team, tasked to inspect Turkish bases for logistics/tactical readiness et cetera, has been snarled because the Turks have insisted ALL US military personnel be subject to Turkish laws. The DoD is reluctant to agree to such terms, especially when the US currently displays the highest sensititivity to questions of extra-territoriality and non-prosecution of its military personnel serving on missions in foreign countries. The Turkish military, according to this report, want the 150 US soldiers under Turkish law so that if "thousands" of US soldiers arrive for the Iraqi operation, their legal status will be the same. "Milliyet" also said that the USG insisted the advance contingent comes under NATO regulations, something that the Turkish generals rejected outright. The paper further reported that the Turkish foreign ministry is conducting "studies" of Turkish "rights" over Iraqi oil based on arrangements reached back in 1926. Turkey is determined to sink its fork and knife (and a few bayonets) in Iraqi flesh and it won't allow the US to have its way without obstruction, bickering, and a bottom-line deal that allows some form of permanent Turkish sway over parts of northern Iraq. Would the Bush administration be willing to agree to that? |
| Posted by: Nik Karanikos 2003-01-10 14:15:37 |
| #2 Turkey's playing a game old Turkey watchers are thoroughly familiar with. She's simply holding out until the very last moment. A common secret is that the Turkish generals would love to have a free hand in northern Iraq to slaughter the Kurds, but this "operation" would be a bit difficult with US troops in the immediate vicinity. Also, Ankara feels her mouth water over the Kirkuk oilfields, which she feels they're hers by right of God (pardon, Allah...) And she also needs cash -- lots and lots of it -- because the Turkish economy has gone to the dogs and it ain't rising any time soon (give 'em another 50 years to work out the basics). In the meantime, Turkey does not let up in also claiming supremacy in the Aegean, by violating, daily and massively, Greek air space and fueling instability in the Eastern Med. Where the Turks are boxed in is Cyprus, where their illegal invasion and occupation of almost half the island has now made Turkey an occupying power of EU soil. This is one the rocket scientists at the Turkish general staff just didn't expect. But history is both harsh and unforgiving... In all, the US needs Turkey, at least in the short run re. Iraq, but in the longer term American officials will have to decide whether a Turkey brimming with guns and having zero friends in the neighborhood would be the desirable "rampart" to defend US strategic interests. Remember what happened to that other "rampart," Iran, about twenty-odd years ago... By the way, all those in the US who believe Turkey will be entering the EU and thus she will have the time and the incentive to "stabilize should be thinking this through again. I'd give Turkey as much chance of entering the EU as the Romanovs reclaiming their throne in Russia. PS: Re. Frank's comment, Turkey is NOT obliged by NATO treaty to host US troops on her soil unless NATO is directly involved in war and the (in)famous Article 5 has been invoked. Bilateral agreements do stand though, and a special memorandum between the US and Turkey would serve the purpose fine. |
| Posted by: Nik Karanikos 2003-01-10 13:47:13 |
| #1 'Global security'(globalsecurity.org) is reporting that there are 4,000 US troops based in turkey, yet turkey is constantly stating that they will not allow US troops in turkey. Which is hard to understand considering they are a NATO nation and obliged under treaty to do so. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2003-01-10 13:17:54 |