Turkish Leader Calls on Iraq to Avert War

Gul told reporters that countries in the region stood to suffer the most in the event of war and they shared responsibility to prevent a conflict.
"But the greatest responsibility falls on Iraq," Gul said. "U.N. decisions must be implemented in a way that leaves no room for any doubt."
Turkey, a NATO ally, was a staging point for attacks on Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and Turkish support would again be crucial to any U.S. military operation on Iraq.
On Friday, Turkey granted the United States permission to inspect Turkish ports and air bases in preparation for a possible war. But polls show that more than 80 percent of the Turkish public is opposed to military action in neighboring Iraq and the country has held off on any decision on letting U.S. soldiers be based in the country.
"It is our duty to prevent a war before there is a war," Gul said.
The United States and Britain insist Iraq still holds still holds weapons of mass destruction in violation of U.N. resolutions , despite Iraqi denials. President Bush has threatened to disarm Saddam Hussein by force if necessary, and thousands of U.S. and British troops are streaming into the Gulf to back up that threat.
Gul’s diplomatic initiative has taken him to Syria, Jordan and Egypt. He was scheduled to meet Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah on Saturday before traveling to Tehran, Iran, on Sunday.
The trip is seen as a bid to show the Turkish public that Ankara is doing all it can to prevent war. Turkey, NATO’s sole Muslim member, fears being alienated in the Islamic world if it backs the United States in a war with Iraq.
Turkey also fears a U.S.-led invasion aimed at toppling Saddam could hurt its economy and lead to instability on its border with Kurds in northern Iraq, promoting secessionist aspirations among Kurds in southeastern Turkey.
Turkish troops have battled the Kurds since 1984, frequently crossing into northern Iraq, in a war that has killed some 37,000 people, mostly Kurds.