Turkish parliament delays US help

TURKEY dealt a blow to US preparations for war against Iraq yesterday, delaying further, until the weekend, a key parliamentary vote on deployment of thousands of US troops there.

Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan tried to dispel any hint of crisis. “Don’t call this a delay ... these are not things to be rushed ,” he said in apparent reference to a recent call by US Secretary of State Colin Powell who pressed Prime Minister Abdullah Gul for a decision on the troops.

“Just as the US Congress can take six to eight weeks to reach a decision, we are going to discuss every detail then take a step,” he added.