Washington Wants No Delay

“We would like this decision to be made as soon as possible. However, this is the decision of the Turkish Government. Minister Gul assured me that they will be working on the subject in the most active way,” said Powell. He underlined that Turkey had made noteworthy offers of assistance regarding Iraq. Turkey’s offers included agriculture, energy, health, education and military ventures. Thanking Turkey for its contributions and offers, Powell stated that business opportunities in Iraq would increase. Both Gul and Powell agreed that Turkish-American relations were strong, despite the occasional problems.

Turkey made an offer to the US of Turkish troop deployment on March 26, an offer reiterated a couple of weeks ago during Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal’s Washington trip. The first official request from the US on the subject was conveyed last Friday by Gen. Abizaid during his Ankara visit.

The Turkish side wants clarification of technical details such as the likely size of the Turkish force, its area of duty and description of duty, and the chain of command. Both Gul and high-ranking Turkish diplomats state that Turkey’s first choice is troop deployment within the framework of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They also say a method of deployment not requiring parliamentary approval is desirable. Turkey seeks an active role in Iraq’s political and economic restructuring in return for troop deployment.

The US side, on the other hand, does not want bargaining and delays, as was the case during the run-up to the Iraq War. Asked “Where do you want Turkish troops in Iraq?”, Powell referred the question to the Pentagon. US government officials with whom Zaman spoke stated that the location of Turkish troops could be any place but northern Iraq; however, priority would be given to southern Iraq, where Shiite Muslims are the majority.

When asked , “To what degree does the US need Turkish troops, and does the US have a ‘Plan B’?”, an American official replied, “We even have ‘Plans C, D and E’, not just a ‘Plan B’”. Some American authorities voiced displeasure with the public perception in Turkey that the US first requested Turkish troops.

Foreign News Services / Istanbul / TURKEY