Turkey’s Gul Says ‘Understanding’ with U.S. on Troops

"There is mutual understanding. Talks are continuing, we will inform you when they are finished," Gul told reporters at Istanbul airport. Washington has expressed frustration over delays on the opening of bases that would serve as staging points for a northern front in any war on Iraq.
Analysts say the United States could shorten a war and reduce the number of U.S. casualties by invading northern Iraq as well as the south.
Turkey’s delay on deciding whether to accept the ‘aid for bases’ deal has thrown into doubt the planned second front against Iraq, accused of building weapons of mass destruction.
Washington has said it will deploy troops earmarked for Turkey to other parts of the region if there is no agreement soon.
Turkey wants a formal assurance the U.S. Congress will act quickly to release financial aid, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan has said.
He also said fears of social upheaval and instability in the region outweighed Turkey’s concerns over whether its crisis-hit economy could withstand the shock of an Iraq war.
Turkey argues that its economy lost more than $30 billion after the 1991 Gulf War and that it had too little say in the new political order in the area, especially in Kurdish-run northern Iraq.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that the latest U.S. offer, of $6 billion in grants and up to $20 billion in loan guarantees, was final, but added "There may be some other creative things we can do," indicating the possibility of restructuring part of the aid to salvage a deal.