Turks agree to host US combat troops

Ending a high stakes diplomatic stand-off, the Turkish Cabinet today agreed to the deployment of tens of thousands of US combat troops ahead of a possible war in Iraq,

The measure is now being sent to parliament, where it is expected to face a vote tomorrow.

The announcement followed a cabinet meeting in Ankara lasting more than six hours – a sign of the deep divisions within the government.

The agreement has been delayed by weeks of tense negotiations. The deadlock was finally broken late last week, when Washington offered Turkey €4.4bn in aid and €8.8bn in loans to cushion the Turkish 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.

The announcement came as US ships loaded with tanks and other armour awaited orders off the Turkish coast.

A US official said talks between the two sides on the details of the agreement were 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 Iraq’s Saddam Hussein will not lead to the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. A Kurdish state, Turkey fears, will 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 but many observers say the military move may actually aim at preventing the creation of a Kurdish state in the autonomous areas of northern Iraq that border Turkey.

Kurdish groups living in those areas say they strongly oppose any Turkish deployment.

Turkey and the United States are also 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, Yakis said.

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

A Nato mission to help defend Turkey against a potential Iraqi attack got underway today with the departure of a planeload of equipment and support units from Germany.

Turkey, a member of Nato, fears that Baghdad might launch a counterattack if it supports the United States.