US issues ultimatum to Turkey on bases

THE United States yesterday said it had made a final offer of economic aid to Turkey to secure access to its bases for a possible invasion of Iraq, and was preparing to deploy troops elsewhere in the region if Ankara rejected it.

“There comes a moment when plans must be made, decisions must be made, and (negotiations) cannot stretch on indefinitely,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, issuing what amounted to an ultimatum.

While Turkish bases would be “desirable” as a springboard for a possible invasion of Iraq from the north, Fleischer said the US military had the flexibility to carry out its mission without Turkey's help.