[A-List] Turkey: US prods Ankara on Iraq

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Turkish Daily News
December 23, 2002

US prods Ankara on Iraq, Gul uneasy

- US frustrated as Ankara delays decision on if and how it will
participate in an attack to topple Saddam Hussein.

- Military discussing operation against Iraq with the US but
wants approval from elected civilian government of Gul.

- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and AK Party deputies seen as
major obstacles in Turkish participation in an attack.

-------------------

Ilnur Cevik

The United States is pushing Ankara to decide as soon as possible
whether it will actively join a military operation against Iraq
while the Abdullah Gul administration is trying to ease some of
the strong objections voiced against such a venture especially in
the ruling Justice and Democracy Party (AK Party).

Sources close to the government, who ask not to be named, say
while the Gul administration can ease the objections of the
public and business circles it will have a hard time convincing
the AK Party deputies and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on
committing Turkey to an operation against Iraq.

The U.S. wants to hear "without any further delay" if and how
Turkey will participate in such an operation, according to
American sources. The U.S. requests the use of Turkish air bases
and ports as well as the station of a massive military force in
Turkey to launch the operation against Iraq.

Prime Minister Gul says Turkey will decide "shortly" what it
intends to do on Iraq and will inform Washington.

Sources say the U.S. wants to expand some air bases in Turkey to
use them in an operation against Iraq. The U.S. has been pushing
Ankara to allow a team of military experts to study the bases and
determine how the bases should be expanded and what equipment is
needed. The issue has been discussed with the military but the
decision to allow the U.S. team to visit the bases is a
government decision.

The government, after ten days of discussions, agreed to allow
the U.S. team to visit the bases earlier this week. Gul and AK
Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan were influential in the
government decision.

The military is reportedly discussing all contingency plans with
the U.S. but needs a "political decision" from the government for
participating in the U.S. operation. Military sources say without
the approval of the civilian administration in Turkey they will
not move an inch on the Iraq issue.

Political observers say the decision to participate in an
operation on Iraq and the deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey
needs parliamentary approval and here the key is AK Party
deputies who are concerned about the heavy burden of such an
operation on the ailing economy and the strong public opposition.

The president is reportedly another center of opposition to a
joint Turkish-U.S. mission in Iraq. It is said the president
wants a new U.N. resolution allowing the U.S. to attack Iraq
before Turkey can participate in any operation. Sources say the
president has been strongly influenced by former prime minister
Bulent Ecevit's advise not to allow active Turkish participation
against Iraq.

U.S. military planners are pushing the White House for a quick
decision to allow time for preparations in Turkey. The White
House, in return, is frustrated with the delays in Ankara.

Sources say time is running out and the U.S. has to decide
whether to include Turkey in the war plans or exclude it and
concentrate on launching a land operation against Iraq from the
south. American Ambassador Robert Pearson has met with Abdullah
Gul and Tayyip Erdogan in recent days to raise the issue.

U.S. officials say they want to launch a two-pronged attack
against Iraq from the north and the south and thus force to
Iraqis to divide their attention in two separate fronts instead
of one.

During the 1991 Gulf War the U.S. used Turkish air bases in
Adana, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Batman but this time wants the
Turks to allow the use of their land to launch a land assault
from the north. This means the U.S. will have to build new bases
here, as well as extensively use Turkish ports.

Turkish officials say Turks are deeply concerned that a military
operation against Iraq will add to the current economic burdens
on the ailing economy and create added hardships on the masses.
The U.S. says it is prepared to cushion the negative effects of
such a military operation on Turkey through financial aid but
complain that some demands, especially from major business
groups, are excessive.

Meanwhile, Turkish officials reported that Ankara is preparing to
host Kurdish officials in coming days. Prime Minister Abdullah
Gul is preparing to receive Kurdistan Democracy Party (KDP)
leader Massound Barzani and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
chairman Jalal Talabani separately in Ankara to discuss the
latest developments in Iraq and the recently concluded conference
by the Iraqi opposition groups in London about the future of Iraq
if and when Saddam Hussein's administration is toppled in
Baghdad.

Ankara- Turkish Daily News