[A-List] US imperialism: Turkey

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Turkey's offer of military bases widens America's options

Jonny Dymond in Ankara and Julian Borger in Washington
Wednesday December 4, 2002
The Guardian

Turkey agreed yesterday to allow its military bases to be used for an
invasion of Iraq, enabling the US to threaten Baghdad with a two-front war.

The offer was made by Turkey's foreign minister, Yasar Yakis, after a
meeting with the foreign secretary, Jack Straw.

On the same day, the US deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, met
Turkey's new prime minister, Abdullah Gul, seeking cooperation for future
military action

"What we mean by cooperation is opening airbases and opening facilities to
use," Mr Yakis said in Ankara. He made it clear that those bases could be
used for combat.

However, he did not say whether Turkey would contribute troops to a
coalition offensive in Iraq.

Turkey's green light represents a significant success for the US which, a
few months ago, was having difficulties securing the agreement of any of
Iraq's neighbours for military action.

There had also been misgivings in Washington over the attitude of Turkey's
new ruling party - elected last month - which is rooted in Islamism.

The US has a significant troop presence in Kuwait and Qatar to the south of
Iraq and a potential base for special forces and airborne operations in
Turkey to the north, allowing the Pentagon much greater flexibility in its
war planning, even if Saudi Arabia withholds basing rights.

It was unclear yesterday what, if anything, Mr Wolfowitz and Mr Straw
offered in return, but the US has offered support for Turkey's rapid
accession to the European Union. There was also speculation in the Turkish
press that Washington would be prepared to write off the country's military
debt.

Ankara has long complained of the costs imposed on the Turkish economy by
the first Gulf War and subsequent sanctions.

Mr Wolfowitz dropped a broad hint that the US was ready with a much-rumoured
aid package for Turkey's economy should military intervention against Iraq
take place.

The arrival of the hawkish Pentagon ideologue was greeted by furious
speculation in the Turkish media over the nature of US requests for
assistance.

Yesterday's newspaper Hurriyet claimed that the US had asked for permission
to base more than 100,000 troops on Turkey's Iraqi border and for 40,000
Turkish troops to be made available.

Speaking to the media immediately after his hour-long meeting with the
Turkish prime minister, Mr Wolfowitz said that US-Turkish cooperation could
be the key to solving the problem of disarming Iraq. But he dodged questions
about requests made of the Turkish government.

Turkey has consistently opposed military intervention in Iraq, concerned
about the impact on the country's fragile economy and also at the prospect
of an autonomous Kurdish state being created in northern Iraq.

When he last went to Turkey in July, Mr Wolfowitz went out of his way to say
that the US would not tolerate such a state in northern Iraq. He repeated
that message in London on Monday.