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U.S. to Seek Turkey Support Vs. Iraq ASSOCIATED PRESS ANKARA, Turkey- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the Pentagon's No. 2 official, launched an official visit in Turkey on Tuesday to drum up support for a military action against neighboring Iraq. Wolfowitz visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, Tuesday morning before meeting Turkish military and civilian leaders amid a political crisis that is shaking the Turkish government. Wolfowitz will discuss Iraq with close U.S. ally Turkey, which could play a key role if the United States tries to force Saddam Hussein from power. Turkish authorities, however, are expected to raise concerns over any military action against Iraq. Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim member, has been a strong supporter of the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign and is currently leading the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. But it fears that an American operation against Iraq could lead to the formation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq that borders Turkey. Turkey has fought for 15 years against Kurdish rebels within its borders and does not want the conflict to flare up again if Kurds across the border achieve statehood. A war with Iraq could also hamper Turkey's fragile recovery from a deep financial crisis that saw its economy shrink by more than 9 percent last year. A surge of Kurdish refugees flooded into Turkey when Saddam attacked them after the end of the Persian Gulf War, and a similar deluge could worsen Turkey's economy, authorities fear. Joining Wolfowitz at the meetings will be Marc Grossman, the No. 3 official at the State Department and the top department official to have met with Iraqi opposition leaders recently. Gen. Joseph Ralston, commander of U.S. European Command, also will attend the talks. Wolfowitz's trip comes amid continued calls by President Bush for Saddam's removal and the possibility of military action. Bush accuses the Iraqi president of hoarding chemical and biological weapons and trying to obtain nuclear bombs. Turkey was a staging point for U.S. strikes on Iraq during 1991 Gulf War. U.S. jets, deployed in a southern Turkish base, have been patrolling the no-fly zone over northern Iraq to protect Iraqi Kurds from the forces of Baghdad. Wolfowitz is also expected to meet with Turkey's ailing premier Bulent Ecevit, whose government is on the verge collapse following a wave defections from his party and bickering among his partners over key European Union reforms. Political instability in Turkey could make it more difficult for political leaders to support, at least publicly, any U.S. military action against Iraq. Ecevit's government has opposed widening the war on terrorism to include an attack on Iraq. However, there is at least one Turkish politician supportive of any action against Iraq. "I want to be the premier during a possible military action against Iraq," said Tansu Ciller, the leader of the opposition True Path Party, hoping to come to power as calls mount for early elections. � __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
