"We ruled Iraq for hundreds of years

Speaking to The Washington Post in the US capital, Gul warned that if the United States asks for Ankara’s military help in Iraq but fails to allocate it a specific and deep role in the country, Parliament will not approve any deployment. Ankara will seek economic and business contracts and a “common understanding” with the Bush administration on Iraq’s future, said Gul, adding that Turkish soldiers wouldn’t just be a “police force.” “Since we are a part of that world, we know better than you,” Gul told the paper. “We ruled this area for hundreds of years [in the Ottoman Empire]. We can give you advice and we can really contribute to settle down the issues over there for the stabilization of Iraq.”