Duration of Turkish troop proposal can be one year

Reports suggest that the duration of the government proposal, to send troops to Iraq to serve as peacekeepers, will be one year.

Diplomatic sources say that after Cabinet agrees on a plan of action, a new round of discussions between Turkey and US will start.

Sources say that there is a definite need for a singing of a new protocol between the militaries of the two nations, adding that this coming round of negotiations would be much easier than the first round.

In this context, military experts are still deliberating on where Turkish troops would be deployed in Iraq, how long would they be there and how many troops would be needed.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Deniz Bolukbasi went to Prime Ministry this morning to give a briefing on how the current round of negotiations were going.

Meanwhile, as Ankara readies for a new government proposal concerning Iraq, it also is pursuing bilateral talks with US. According to reports, US has asked for the issue to be resolved within this week.