Turkish troops ready to hit back if attacked in Iraq

“The Turkish armed forces have the abilities and capacity to protect its convoys and itself,” Basbug said.
He maintained that Turkish troops would use a corridor through Kurdish-held northern Iraq, which borders Turkey, despite objections from Iraqi Kurds.
“The United States, which is the authority in Iraq, does not have reservations on the issue,” said another general, Metin Yavuz Yalcin, who heads the operational unit of the general staff.

Overriding vocal opposition from both the Iraqi leadership and its own public opinion, the Turkish government last week passed through parliament a motion to dispatch troops to Iraq in response to a US request for assistance.

Iraqi Kurds, who have chilly ties with Ankara, are particularly hostile to the idea, wary that Turkey, which has long been accused of oppressing its own restive Kurds, wants to thwart their political gains in the post-Saddam period.

Basbug said talks were continuing with the United States to determine the region where the Turkish force would serve.

The size of the contingent would be decided afterwards, he said.

Turkish officials have earlier said they are willing to contribute up to 10,000 soldiers.

Basbug said they were considering two areas: Salahuddin, a province lying north of Baghdad which includes Saddam Hussein’s birthtown of Tikrit and is close to Kurdish-populated areas, and a stretch of Al Anbar province along the Euphrates River west of Baghdad which includes the flashpoint town of Fallujah.

A third option, which includes a larger portion in the north of Al Anbar, is also on the table, but is not favored by the Turkish side, he added.

Basbug was upbeat in the face of the vocal Iraqi opposition to Turkey’s decision to send troops, which has also come under criticism by fellow Muslim states.
“We hope the interim government of Iraq will adopt a more positive stance on this issue,” Basbug said.
Ankara has called on Washington to sort out the wrangle.