Turkey resisting U.S. efforts to keep soldiers out of Iraq

After a cabinet meeting Monday night, Turkey’s justice minister, Cemil Cicek, said the government is determined to send troops into Iraq for humanitarian and security reasons.

FROM MARCH 24, 2003: No agreement on Turkish troops in Iraq
Both Washington and European leaders have warned Turkey not to intervene in the Iraq conflict.
Turkey fears a mass movement of Iraqi Kurd refugees into its territory and wants to head off such an exodus within Iraq.
The military has indicated it wants to set up a security belt 30 kilometres wide along the Iraqi border to deal with refugees.
A large group of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq would also deter Iraqi Kurds from declaring a Kurdish state. The Turkish government fears such a state would lead to demands of autonomy from its own Kurdish population.
Kurds have an historical fear of Turks and Washington is concerned the presence of Turkish forces could lead to clashes with the Kurds.