Turkey pressed by U.S. for airspace rights

The change of government comes as Washington appeared increasingly impatient with Turkey, whose parliament rejected a request for the deployment of U.S. troops on its soil in order to open a northern front in a possible war against Iraq.
In Washington, officials said the Pentagon was moving about 10 Navy ships out of the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, where they could launch missiles on a path to Iraq that would not go over Turkey.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney called Erdogan late Thursday and asked that Turkey hastily open up its airspace for use by U.S. warplanes, the Hurriyet newspaper reported. The call came after U.S. President George W. Bush sent a letter to Erdogan urging the same.
Erdogan made no promises, but said the new government would take up the issue, Hurriyet reported. The paper characterized the telephone call between Cheney and Erdogan as "tense." No comment was immediately available from U.S. or Turkish officials.
Other newspapers carried the same report.
Private CNN-Turk television said Washington had requested the use of 11 separate air corridors.
In a sign that Turkey was prepared to move fast, parliament voted to work over the weekend, ostensibly to debate a new labour law. But the extra parliamentary sessions would allow a new government to quickly present its program to parliament and win a vote of confidence early next week.
Any authorization for U.S. use of Turkish air space would require parliamentary approval and is unlikely to come before the vote of confidence.
On March 1, Turkey’s parliament refused to authorize the deployment of up to 62,000 U.S. troops in Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq in the event of a war, straining relations with Washington, Turkey’s closest ally.
With the public overwhelmingly opposed to war, Turkish legislators are uneasy about the idea of letting in thousands of foreign troops. But they could be more inclined to let U.S. warplanes use the country’s airspace.
Erdogan enjoys widespread popularity and is the political leader most likely to be able to convince a reluctant party and public. Some polls show that 94 per cent of the population opposes a possible war in Iraq.
Erdogan had hinted that he favours resubmitting a new resolution to parliament for U.S. troop deployment. But he has said Turkey was seeking more assurances from the United States regarding Turkey’s role in the future of Iraq.
Turkey fears northern Iraqi Kurds may declare independence in the aftermath of a war, possibly sparking similar moves by rebel Kurds in southeastern Turkey, where they have been fighting for autonomy for 15 years.
But refusing the United States military access to Turkish soil would cost Ankara $15 billion US in promised aid to help cushion the country’s economy if war breaks out.
Dozens of ships have been waiting off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast to unload military materiel for troops in the event of war. In southern Turkey, U.S. soldiers are building an air terminal and unloading supplies to move quickly if the troop agreement comes through.
Erdogan was constitutionally barred from running for premier in November elections because he was jailed in 1999 for anti-secular activities. The party’s legislators have since amended the constitution to allow him to hold office.