US says it can persuade Iraqis to accept Turks

The Bush administration said on Tuesday it was confident it could bring reluctant Iraqi leaders around to the idea of accepting Turkish troops under a proposal approved by the Turkish parliament.

The Iraqi Governing Council of 24 leaders chosen by the United States is wary of Turkish troops because of historic sensitivities, especially among the Kurds in the north, and worries that the Turks might come with ulterior motives.

But the United States needs all the security assistance it can obtain in Iraq and sees Turkish troops as ideal partners because of Turkey’s secular Muslim tradition.