Turkish cabinet set to agree to allow in US troops

The Turkish Cabinet met late into the night to urgently reconsider a measure that would allow in US troops and grant American warplanes the right to use its airspace to launch an attack on Iraq.

The signs were that they had agreed to let the Americans in but the Cabinet meeting ended without an immediate announcement and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left to consult with some of his top ministers.

An aide for Erdogan said an announcement would be made later

Political and military leaders decided in an emergency meeting on Monday that Turkey should take quick steps toward authorising the US military to use Turkish territory.

US bombers based in Europe would need to cross Turkey to strike Iraq and Washington urgently wants permission to use Turkish airspace.

The United States had earlier been pressing for permission to send 62,000 soldiers to Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq that would divide Iraq’s army.

Ships carrying armour for those soldiers are off the Turkish coast, but unloading the ships could take weeks.

Parliament could vote on authorising the US military as early as today, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said.