Turks planning northern Iraq invasion

Turkey has plans to send tens of thousands of soldiers into northern Iraq if the United States attacks through the north, senior intelligence and military sources said today.

The Turkish mission would be aimed at preventing a Kurdish state and stopping a possible flood of refugees, the sources said.

About 4,000 Turkish troops, including engineers, have already been sent to the rugged, mountainous border region so that reinforcements could quickly be rushed into northern Iraq if there is a conflict, said the sources, who have been part of the Turkish planning.

Washington has apparently asked for Turkish permission to send tens of thousands of US soldiers through Turkey into Iraq if there is a war.

Turkish military officials have said that if there is an attack through the north, Turkey plans on sending its own soldiers into the region.

The Hurriyet newspaper reported today that Turkey is planning to deploy between 65,000 to 70,0000 troops in northern Iraq if there is a US assault from the north.

A senior intelligence official said Turkey is concerned that if Iraq disintegrates, Iraqi Kurds could seize the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. Mosul is a key regional centre and Kirkuk is home to major oil fields.

Control of those cities would make the Kurds a significant regional power.

It is likely that Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq would secure the area, but would not take part in fighting against Iraqi troops