‘Turkish Troops on Duty in Iraq Under Turkish Command’

Washington has also sent Ankara a copy of its new proposal for security in Iraq that it is presenting to United Nations. The Turkish government will reply to the White House after an evaluation of the proposal.

In Rome to attend an unofficial European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul made important statements to journalists on the plane.

Gul stated that issues related to the number of soldiers to be sent and the cost of a deployment would become clear in following days. Gul also pointed out that the government would take EU perspectives into account in its decision.

Gul added that should the government decide to send troops, no serious opposition would arise in the Parliament.

After military analyses are completed, a National Security Council meeting will be held in September, and it is expected that a decision would be made.

It was stated that committees who are conducting research in the region would present their reports to Foreign Affairs next week. Whereas some of the committees arrived in Ankara the previous day, the rest would come to Turkey today and report to Minister Gul on Monday. In general, the Iraqi public is thought to be receptive to the presence of Turkish soldiers in Iraq.