Turkey reaches 'broad agreement' with US troops
Turkey has reached a “broad agreement” with the US to allow combat forces to be based in the country in case of war with Iraq, foreign minister Yasar Yakis has said.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell also said some progress had been made, and said the remaining differences should be resolvable. Mr Powell, speaking to reporters en route to Asia, said US and Turkish teams would be concentrating on hashing out an agreement in the next few days.
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said earlier yesterday that a final agreement may still be days off on approving the deployment, which could open a northern front for a two-pronged attack aimed at dividing and overwhelming Iraq’s army.
Washington and Ankara were discussing Turkey’s request for some $10bn in grants as well as Turkey’s demands that it send troops into northern Iraq to maintain stability if there is an invasion.
The latter issue is extremely sensitive in Turkey, and Mr Yakis said a crucial part of the discussions was Turkey’s concerns that a war could spark Iraqi Kurds to declare an independent state. That, Turks fear, could encourage Turkey’s own Kurdish minority.
“I am optimistic that an agreement will be reached,” Mr Yakis told The Associated Press yesterday.
Earlier, he told CNN International that Turkey and the US had reached “a very broad agreement on all subjects. The remaining issues are not that many but I think we will be able to overcome the differences and mutually agree”.
“There are several points on which we asked the American side for clarifications,” he told The AP.
“The emergence of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq is one of the very important questions” in the talks.”
Mr Gul said he expected a result in the coming days but Mr Yakis said it was not certain that parliament would be ready to vote on an agreement when it meets in its next session on Tuesday.
Mr Yakis’s optimism comes amid rising tensions between the US and Nato’s only Muslim member.
Turkey’s parliament had been expected to vote on Tuesday on allowing in the soldiers – a date already almost two weeks later than the US had wanted.
US officials have said that the Turkish delays threaten to undermine war plans.
In Ankara, US Representative Joel Hefley met with Turkey’s top politician, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and stressed the US desire for a quick decision, pointing out that cargo ships carrying tanks for the 4th Infantry Division were waiting off the Turkish coast, a spokesman for Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party said.
If Turkey refused the US request, the supplies would be moved to the Gulf to strengthen US forces in that region, the spokesman said. But the delays continued.
An overwhelming majority of Turks – some polls say up to 94% – oppose a war, and Turkey’s government is baulking at taking the unpopular step of letting in US troops.
On the other hand, Turkey faces intense US pressure to accept a deal and cannot afford to alienate Washington, whose political and economic support is crucial.
The talks involve Turkey’s request for some 10 billion in aid, help the country said is crucial for supporting the Turkish economy if there is a war. Mr Powell reiterated today that the offer stood at 6 billion.
