Turkey gives US troops access to Iraq

ENDING a high stakes diplomatic standoff, Turkey’s cabinet yesterday agreed to the deployment of tens of thousands of US combat troops ahead of a possible war in Iraq.

The measure is expected to face a vote in Turkey’s parliament today.

The announcement came as US ships loaded with tanks and other armour awaited orders off the Turkish coast. It followed a more than six-hour cabinet meeting, a sign of the deep difficulties during the US-Turkish talks.

The agreement to allow the troops in has been delayed by weeks of tense negotiations. The deadlock was finally broken late last week, when Washington offered Turkey $5 billion in aid and $10bn in loans to cushion its economy from the impact of any war.

Washington wants to use Turkey to open a northern front in a war in Iraq, a strategy that would divide the Iraqi army.

A US official said talks between the two sides on the details of the agreement are expected to continue throughout the day.

An overwhelming majority of Turks oppose any war in neighbouring Iraq, fearing that it would further weaken Turkey’s already fragile economy.

Turkish leaders have demanded assurances that the fall of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will not lead to the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, which would boost aspirations of Turkey’s Kurdish rebels. To prevent this, Turkey wants to send tens of thousands of troops into northern Iraq in case of war. Ankara also fears that a war will push hundreds of thousands of refugees toward Turkey.

Many observers say the military move may actually aim at preventing the creation of a Kurdish state in the autonomous areas of northern Iraq which border Turkey. Kurdish groups living in those areas say they strongly oppose any Turkish deployment.

Turkey and the US are still discussing command of any Turkish troops in northern Iraq, the disarmament after a war of Iraqi Kurdish groups and the control of two northern Iraqi oil fields, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the governing Justice and Development Party, has said that he would not order his lawmakers to vote in favour of the deployment. He said he hoped “his friends would act toward the authorisation”.

Yesterday, a Nato mission to help defend Turkey against a potential Iraqi attack got under way with the departure of a planeload of equipment and support units from Germany.