Turkey: Put more pressure on Iraq

On Thursday, U.S. officials in Washington said that the United States had discussed a compromise with Ankara under which troops would be rotated through the country in relatively low numbers.
The aim would be to keep the military’s presence as low as possible — around 15,000-20,000 troops at any one time — to avoid a backlash from Turks widely opposed to a war against their Muslim neighbour.
Analysts say any further delay could leave Washington precious little time to include a Turkish front in war plans, especially with a nine-day Muslim holiday looming in early February.
At Friday’s news conference Yakis also called on NATO to come to Turkey’s defence should it be attacked during a possible U.S.-led military strike on Iraq.
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey could reach a decision on what kind of support it can offer Washington early next week.
The government’s cabinet was due to meet later on Friday and the AKP executive board is set to convene on Sunday, where a likely response to Washington’s request may be agreed.
Turkey already lets U.S. and British aircraft fly sorties over northern Iraq to enforce a "no-fly zone" imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, but it fears a new conflict may batter a fragile economy and stir unrest in the mainly Kurdish southeast.
Ankara says the Gulf War has cost more than $30 billion in lost trade and tourism revenues. It is pushing Washington to grant financial aid worth billions of dollars to help prop-up its economy if war breaks out.
Analysts say the U.S. Senate would need to approve the financing, a possibly lengthy process that would unlikely bear fruit until well after the conflict erupts.
Turkey may first need to rely on funding from the International Monetary Fund, which is already delayed by slow implementation of economic reforms.
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks last week with Turkish military leaders that centred on the NATO partner’s potential war role.
Turkish newspapers reported then that Turkey’s military commander Hilmi Ozkok told Myers that Washington would have to lower its proposed troop presence, which some reports had put at 80,000 military personnel.