Makeshift Turkish deal may help strategic US moves

TURKEY’S government worked yesterday to cobble together a deal to help the United States in a war against Iraq, but diplomatic sources said that its NATO ally might not end up with everything it wanted.

With US troops making final preparations to invade Iraq, a top-level Monday night meeting in Ankara revived flagging hopes in Washington of using Turkey as a launch pad to open a northern front that could accelerate a victory over Baghdad.

But diplomatic sources said parliament might only be asked to open air corridors and allow transit of special forces rather than the passage of 62,000 troops it rejected on March 1.

Government sources also said all three options for a new motion envisaged sending Turkish troops to northern Iraq something Washington has specifically asked Turkey not to do.

"At the moment the general feeling is positive on finalising the motion in a positive way," Turkish state minister Ali Babacan said of prospects for a motion that would unlock a package of up to $30bn in aid to ease the impact of war.

"I think that on this subject we will be working closely with the United States," Babacan told the local CNN Turk television in an interview.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was expected to discuss the motion at an emergency cabinet meeting and a vote on a deal is expected today.

Government sources said the cabinet would consider three options. The first would be limited to overflight rights, frustrating US hopes of setting up a full northern front. The second proposal would also allow for the use of airbases and the third option would include ground forces.

All motions envisage sending Turkish troops into northern Iraq to prevent the creation of a Kurdish state and to protect the Turks' ethnic cousins in the Turkmen minority.

US ships loaded with armour and equipment for the 4th Infantry Division, a hi-tech body of 30,000 soldiers, are waiting off Turkish Mediterranean ports for orders to disembark or divert elsewhere.

Even a limited deployment would force Iraqi troops to fight on two fronts and ease the burden of a main invasion force entering Iraq from Kuwait. It might also help US troops to seize control of oil fields in northern Iraq that Washington fears Baghdad might sabotage in any retreat.

Iraqi opposition figures held talks with Turkish and US officials in Ankara yesterday. A Kurdish source said there was a greater understanding but no agreement yet.