Safire to Zebari: ‘Accept Turkish Troops’

"I asked the first victorious Islamist party leader why he thought I had been "aggressive". He replied that Turkey had helped in the war by permitting overflights and the use of bases for medical treatment, and that Turks took offense at our failure to report their humanitarian aid."

Safire asked Erdogan whether he was prepared to send troops to join the coalition in Iraq.

"He said Turkey would help with natural gas and with doctors, but there were ‘ethnic issues that the U.S. does not understand as we do’."

Safire understood this to mean, "Erdogan was apparently irritated by the statement of Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari that nations bordering Iraq should not send troops."

The American journalist added, "My advice to Hoshyar: go see your counterpart in Ankara and say that Iraq would welcome a peacekeeping force of 10,000 or so Turks, stationed far south of Kurdish areas to avert any friction."