Observers: Arabs in Musul, Kerkuk Want Turkish Military Presence

Viewing a U.S. request for military assistance favorably, the government thinks the Turkish military can indeed be a balancing factor in Iraq, just as it was in Afghanistan. Although the U.S. request for soldiers had arrived earlier, government officials were waiting for the assessment of Turkish military officers, who said that the clashes among the groups in Iraq were continuing and that even Arab groups were saying they wanted the Turkish military.

Stating that the United States might be insistent on the issue since it is quite familiar with Turkish troops’ success in Afghanistan, the Prime Ministry official said: "The Turkish military is regarded as a ‘balancing factor’ by the Americans because it was proven in Afghanistan. It is the same for Iraq. Ethnic groups in the region do not approach foreign soldiers very nicely. We have kinship connections with the people in the region."

Edip Ali Yavuz / Ankara / TURKEY