Turkey: 10,000 soldiers may be sent to Iraq

Foreign Minister underlined that around 10,000 Turkish soldiers could go to Iraq, but it was up to the Army.

Gul stated that a large area is offered to Turkey by the US to deploy its military presence, but Ankara had right of choising the alternatives where to take post. He added that Turkey had no any secret aim towards Iraq and Kurdish leaders had to see clearly that Ankara was friend of Iraq.

About any UN decision on sending troops to Iraq, Gul said that the UN also had steps towards this end.

TRIBES RESPECTFUL TO TURKISH SOLDIER

Saying that the tribes who visited Turkey was greeted warmly Ankara’s any decision to send troops but still it was not easy for anyone to accept foreign soldiers in their countries.

US HAS TO TAKE PKK/KADEK SERIOUSLY

Gul stressed that the US had to take seriously PKK/KADEK and this terrorist organization was in the list of terrorizm. He added that Syria and Iran was in cooperation with Turkey about PKK/KADEK and they back terrorists to Ankara. Gul said that these two countries wouldn’t oppose to troop issue because Ankarad had no secret aims in Iraq.

CYPRUS

About the Cyprus issue, Gul stated that Turkish Cyprus was a separete state and the population of the TRNC was 200,000, so a hurtful opposition policy had not been continued over there.