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| Iraq |
| Todayâs Turkish Press on Irag |
| 2003-03-14 |
| WASHINGTON OFFICIALLY ASKS ANKARA FOR OVER FLIGHT PERMISSION, USE OF SEVERAL TURKISH MILITARY AIRBASES Ahead of a possible US-led military campaign against Iraq, the Bush administration officially asked Ankara yesterday to open Turkish airspace to US planes for airlifting troops and war materiel into northern Iraq. Washingtonâs over flight request was conveyed by Robert Pearson, US ambassador to Ankara, during his meeting with ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is set to formally take PM post soon. Pearson also presented Erdogan a letter from US President George W. Bush which reportedly requested US use of military airbases in the southeastern Turkish provinces of Mus, Batman and Diyarbakir to launch air strikes on Iraq. Following the meeting, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok and Erdogan gathered to discuss Washingtonâs requests. In related news, US Vice President Dick Cheney phoned Erdogan reportedly urging him to introduce a motion to Parliament which would allow deployment of US troops in Turkey for a possible northern offensive into Iraq, and told Erdogan that Turkey should not intervene in northern Iraq single-handedly. /All Papers/ ANAKARA WARNS BARZANI TO ABANDON HIS ANTI-TURKEY ATTITUDE OVER NORTHERN IRAQ Turkish Foreign Ministry warned Massoud Barzani, head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP), to abandon his anti-Turkey attitude over the northern Iraq issue. Meeting with IKDPâs Representative in Ankara, Sefin Dizayi yesterday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yusuf Buluc said that the IKDP should give up promoting anti-Turkish ambitions in northern Iraq and coopearte with Ankara for the well-being of all the Iraqi people. /Cumhuriyet/ TALABANI: âWE ARE OPPOSED TO TURKEYâS INTERVENTION IN IRAQ SINCE WE DONâT WANT TO FIGHT AGAINST TURKISH TROOPSâ Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani said yesterday that they didnât want to invade Mosul and Kirkuk or fight against Iraqi troops. Talabani stated that his policy was only to protect security of the region controlled by Kurds. âWe consider ourselves as partners of the US,â he said. âWe are opposed to Turkeyâs intervention in northern Iraq since we donât want to fight against Turkish troops.â /Aksam/ ERDOGAN HOLDS A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH CHENEY Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was designated to form the new government, held a telephone conversation with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney following the summit at Prime Ministry. During the conversation, Erdogan and Cheney exchanged views about a possible U.S.-led military action against Iraq and the motion. Erdogan told Cheney that Turkey was going through a new government process and stated that a new evaluation on demands mentioned in the motion should be made. Erdogan said that formation of the new government should be waited for making evaluation on the motion. U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH CALLS FOR URGENT RESPONSE FOR MOTION AND AIR SPACE The U.S. President George Bush sent a letter and verbal message to Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan through the U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson. Bush said they did not have patience to wait more. Pearson officially conveyed the demand for air space, and stressed that Bush waited for an urgent response. Bush sent the message that if Turkey and the United States would not enter Northern Iraq together and act together there, it would not be appropriate for Turkey to enter there by its own. In a summit in which Erdogan, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, they adopted to give a positive response to Washington. A LITTLE SPACE BETWEEN GENERAL STAFF AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, who had gone to Cankaya Palace when the motion was rejected, pointed out that, ''views of Turkish Armed Forces should be shared with public.'' President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in response said, ''it will not be appropriate. Various interpretations can be made.'' When Gen. Ozkok had made a statement supporting the motion following this meeting, President Sezer said, ''it was not appropriate. He should not have asked my views if he would have made this.'' When the motion was rejected, Gen. Ozkok told Prime Minister Abdullah Gul that, ''we had made all our accounts on passage of the motion. We can not remain indifferent against Northern Iraq. It is obligatory to find a new formula.'' PRESS CENTER ESTABLISHED IN ISKENDERUN A Press Information Center was established in Naval Base Command in Iskenderun. Naval Forces Captain Ertugrul Ucar, who made a statement in Press Information Center, briefed about the studies carried out in the region within the scope of possible action against Iraq. YALMAN: ''TSK IS READY FOR EVERY MISSION'' Land Forces Commander General Aytac Yalman who inspected Iskenderun port said, ''our troops are at perfect level. We, as Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), are ready for every mission which our nation will give us.'' MILITARY ACTIVITY U.S. activity continues in Turkey. Land Forces Commander General Aytac Yalman came to southern Iskenderun province to inspect the region. U.S. Land Forces Deputy Commander in Chief Gen. Michael Dodson who also inspected Iskenderun port, Mediterranean Region and Garrison Command in southern Mersin province later returned to Incirlik base by helicopter. GONUL: IRAQ CANNOT WIN THE WAR National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said that in case of a possible war between Iraq and the United States, Iraq could not win the war. Gonul who informed Parliamentary Planning and Budgetary Commission regarding the budget of his ministry said that data were clear and if war would start, Iraq would not have the opportunity to win it. He added that no matter how heroically Iraq fought, the result would not change. He said that Iraq should implement the United Nations decisions. Something could still happen on the Northern Front, but they better hurry. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Turkey blew it, they should have created a Kurdish Legion of troops and sent them in with the US with the hopes that Turkey would look good, and that they could get other Kurds to move into Iraqi Kurdistan. Perhaps some Iraqi Turkomen could then move into Turkey and they won't have to kill each other over the stupid borderline anymore. Then the Kurds could concentrate on harrassing the Syrians and the Iranians. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-03-14 14:25:42 |
| #2 Chuck, You may be right, this might be something like threatening with left and striking with a right punch, there is something fishy going on, maybe part of the plan. The troop deployment (soldiers) is objected, but the deployment of military material is going on in full pace. What if the US troops fly in as civilians (there is no stop for tourism) at the already (US army) rented city airport of Gazi Antep. It looks as a farfetched theory but how to explain the continued deployment of military equipment. |
| Posted by: Murat 2003-03-14 09:41:00 |
| #1 Steve, I think there's a lot going on that's not being made public. We've seen posts here recently that the convoys from the ports continue, and that ships apparently continue to unload. This may end up being run like Reforger, our troops fly in and meet up with their pre-positioned equipment, and roll in 36-48 hours. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-03-14 09:18:58 |