EU: We Respect Turkey’s Decision

Pointing out that the E.U. had not taken an official stance on the Iraq war yet, Gallach said: “Some of our members are in Iraq and some of them are not. Sending troops to Iraq is up to every member and candidate country. It is not appropriate for us to adopt an attitude on the subject.”

Gallach added that the E.U. supported Iraq’s reconstruction and humanitarian aid but was not officially involved in security issues. She assured that Turkey’s decision would not affect Ankara-Brussels relations.

Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa said, “The Turkish government gave an assurance that if they sent troops to Iraq, it would be temporary… and it would not happen immediately.”

Musa also spoke about his meetings with Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and Temporary Government Council members in Iraq.

Turkey’s decision has made headlines all over the world. The Greek press supported the decision, saying that it would put the U.S. at ease and permit Turkey to act freely in foreign politics. French newspapers wrote that Ankara aims to root out terrorist organizations.