Hard to see them worm out of this one...the junta face a massive increase
in illegality just to stay in one place.Damned if they do and a dead duck
if you don't.
Bush talks Turkey and is given the bird.
By Eric Schmitt and Dexter Filkins in Washington
March 13 2003
Events in Turkey have not worked out well for the United States military,
which is still being kept waiting for approval to use Turkish air bases or
airspace for an attack on Iraq.
After initial rejection, the Bush Administration was expecting an early
green light from new leadership in Turkey, but has been disappointed again.
The delay is complicating planning for scores of American warplanes based
at Incirlik Air Base, as well as nearly 100 more aboard two aircraft
carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.
If the naval aircraft are not allowed to fly into Iraq from southern
Turkey, Pentagon officials will have to decide whether to use the more
diplomatically provocative route over Israel and Jordan.
The new disagreement with Turkey emerged in a phone call on Monday from
President George Bush to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who on Tuesday was asked by
Turkey's President to form a government after the resignation of Prime
Minister Abdullah Gul.
The telephone call turned rocky when Mr Erdogan declined Mr Bush's request
to help speed approval, US officials said.
"It was not a great phone call," said one Bush Administration official.
"The Turks weren't as responsive as we'd hoped."
Any air campaign against Iraq would rely mainly on several hundred combat
planes now based in Kuwait and other Persian Gulf states, and on three
aircraft carriers in the Gulf itself. The US had also counted on using
warplanes based in Turkey or flying through Turkish airspace to attack Iraq
from the north.
"Any overflight rights in connection with a military operation against Iraq
would be subject to approval of the parliament," the Turkish ambassador, O.
Faruk Logoglu, said. It was unlikely Parliament would take up a request
until next week.
Coupled with the parliament's narrow rejection of the US request to stage
as many as 62,000 American troops into northern Iraq from Turkey, the new
Turkish stance is almost certain to strain relations further.
Mr Logoglu said any parliamentary vote on using bases or airspace could be
handled separately from the issue of ground troops, but it would not be easy.
US military officials, exasperated with Turkey for stranding three dozen
ships carrying tanks and equipment for the Army's 4th Infantry Division in
the eastern Mediterranean, voiced concern.
"It's a big deal," said one military official at the US European Command.
"There are many options that are available. But ultimately, we've got to
wait to see how the Turks work through this."
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/12/1047431099486.html
