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| Iraq |
| Turkey opens airspace but blocks airbases |
| 2003-03-20 |
| The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, confirmed last night that he will ask parliament to allow the US overflight rights for a war on Iraq but to deny the Americans use of their bases in Turkey. In a move scuppering plans for a heavily armoured "northern front" against Saddam Hussein, it is expected that the vote, due today, would not even allow US planes to refuel on Turkish soil. Can someone explain the grand design of the Turkish plan? The new motion will also include a request for parliament to authorise sending Turkish troops to northern Iraq where it is feared Iraqi Kurds may try to win independence, fuelling separatist sentiment among the 15 million-strong Kurdish population in Turkey. Iraqi Kurdish groups, meeting in Ankara, reiterated yesterday that such a move would be incendiary and warned of Turkish intervention sparking clashes with local forces. They aren't seriously edging towards war with us, are they? Under the proposed vote, the US would not be able to use Incirlik airbase, a facility that houses 50 US fighters used to patrol the no-fly zone over Iraq and a key hub in the Afghan conflict. Asked whether parliament's authorisation would include the right to use Turkish airbases, Mr Erdogan replied: "No, none of these are included." Last night Ankara said the possible basing of US combat troops on Turkish soil would be discussed at a later date. The use of Turkish airspace is a far cry from the crucial role Washington hoped its ally would play in any military action. Attacking from Turkey could have made a war swifter and, for US soldiers, potentially less bloody. A US official said the Muslim state now no longer qualified for the $15bn aid package agreed after weeks of intensive bargaining. Instead, it is believed, Washington has pledged to prop up Turkey's troubled economy through international institutions such as the IMF. Local financial markets tumbled in early trading yesterday, and stocks fell by almost 8%. The money is voting with its feet. Even opposition parliamentarians, who yesterday vowed to reject the new resolution, expressed relief that the US deployment drama was finally over. "Turkey's relationship with the United States goes back 50 years to the Korean war," Abdulkadir Ates, a prominent opposition politician, said. "One incident shouldn't jeopardise that." Guess again, Abdulkadir. And it isn't just one incident, it's now two. But political analysts beg to differ. Many said the ruling Islamic-orientated Justice and Development party had made Turkey pay a heavy price for its clumsy handling of the affair. Although it has not been ruled out that Turkey could still be used at a future stage of a war, most complained it was unlikely Ankara would be able to strike a deal of the kind previously reached. "What has happened is disastrous for Turkey... Its bargaining power has been nullified because the US has gone with other plans," Ilnur Cevink, a leading commentator, said. A US official said: "They're insisting on preserving their right in principle to go in but we've told the Turks this should not be their first option. As a possibility it is cause for great concern." "Great concern" = diplospeak for "don't do it." |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 The Erdogan Government has been consistently wrong at every step in this process. It's too late to believe they will smarten up. They evidently believe they are free to partition the Iraqi Kurdish areas, acquire an oil supply, outlaw the political party of their own Kurds and all of this in the face of the American Invasion of Iraq. What is in that Turkish tobacco? We are not about to free the Iraqi people from Sadaam and allow anyone from Iraq, Syria or Turkey to walk in and take a piece of the Country. If the Military doesn't depose them soon, these idiots will be ordering the military to fight the US to hold Kurdish Iraq. Oppose and obstruct your only ally - what a bunch of clowns. |
| Posted by: edwardvt 2003-03-20 11:26:09 |
| #9 The Turkish military is letting the new government shoot themselves in the foot. Their economy is swirling down the shitter, the US is pissed and the Kurds are playing a big role in the new Iraq government. OOOOOOOOOPS. Maybe France will help us out. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-20 11:05:33 |
| #8 The way this cluster job has been going from the beginning, I'm surprised they didn't okay the airbases but veto the airspace. The bus is leaving, you're gonna miss it. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-03-20 10:56:09 |
| #7 This Turkish Parliament is thinking things through like a school board. The emotion is getting in the way of logic. The reprocussions will be great from their delay, denial, and decisions. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-03-20 10:47:34 |
| #6 Something along the lines of Andy Jackson and the Cherokees? "The court has made their decision. Now let's see them enforce it." |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-03-20 10:39:46 |
| #5 Perhaps the army could give us permission to use the airspace, and tell the Parliament to try to stop us. |
| Posted by: Hermetic 2003-03-20 09:43:11 |
| #4 The current regime in Tehran is in it's last days as well, it just hasn't accepted it. Watch what the Iranian people do, not what the mullahs say..... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-03-20 07:05:37 |
| #3 The question is whether Ankara is planning on presenting us with a partition of Iraq, possibly in concert with Tehran. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-03-20 06:50:41 |
| #2 You could see this train wreck coming a mile away. |
| Posted by: becky 2003-03-20 03:01:22 |
| #1 Something along the lines of Andy Jackson and the Cherokees? "The court has made their decision. Now let's see them enforce it." |
| Posted by: mojo 3/20/2003 10:39:46 AM |