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.

The delay suggested a crisis of confidence by the three-month-old Justice and Development Party (AKP) as it grapples with the prospect of backing what would be a very unpopular war there. A vote set to sail through became mired in questions of authority and constitutional legitimacy.

Naval ships carrying armour and munitions for 62,000 troops have been waiting off Turkey while US officials negotiate terms for the launch of a northern front that could shorten war against Baghdad and cut US losses.

With a US strike against Baghdad perhaps only a few weeks away, Washington may soon have to decide to abandon the northern front and divert the ships south to the gulf.