The Turkish official added, during the presentation he gave to the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, "we have explained to the Americans our readiness and we stressed to them certain matters, including deliberate rejection for the foundation of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq and not to treat the Turkman in Karkouk and al-Mousel as a minority. We have also stressed that the Turkman are among the most important elements of the Iraqi state."
Lt. Gen. Baker listed the American demands proposed by the U.S. administration to Turkey, including the deployment of 80,000 soldiers with a special force composed of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers in Turkey. Among these demands are that Washington wants a British force to take part in this force "permitting the planes flying from the British base in Cyprus to use the Turkish airspace; Permitting the intelligence center in Ancerlic base to use reconnaissance planes; using the airports of Ancerlic; Batman, Deyar Baker, Afyoun, Jourlo, Sbeiha and Kokijin and the ports of Tash Ojo in Mersin with the port of Alexandria."
Lt. Gen. Baker said that the outlines of the American plan to attack Iraq have started to take final shape. According to the plan, the USA seeks to open three fronts from Kuwait, Jordan and Northern Iraq in order to attack Iraq by land and air. Built on that, Washington seeks to have 80,000 troops in Turkey and specifies the names of 6 bases and three ports it wants to use within the Turkish territories, stressing that Washington set its recent position concerning striking Iraq - even if Saddam Hussein quits his authority.
Arabic News, 1/9/2003
Article republished courtesy of Arabic News: http://www.arabicnews.com
Previous Stories:
Millyet: Turkish tanks incurred in Northern Iraq (1/7/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030107/2003010702.html
Milliyet: Turkey for a Swiss system in Iraq (1/4/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030104/2003010408.html
Turkey for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi issue (1/3/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030103/2003010304.html
Lt. Gen. Baker listed the American demands proposed by the U.S. administration to Turkey, including the deployment of 80,000 soldiers with a special force composed of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers in Turkey. Among these demands are that Washington wants a British force to take part in this force "permitting the planes flying from the British base in Cyprus to use the Turkish airspace; Permitting the intelligence center in Ancerlic base to use reconnaissance planes; using the airports of Ancerlic; Batman, Deyar Baker, Afyoun, Jourlo, Sbeiha and Kokijin and the ports of Tash Ojo in Mersin with the port of Alexandria."
Lt. Gen. Baker said that the outlines of the American plan to attack Iraq have started to take final shape. According to the plan, the USA seeks to open three fronts from Kuwait, Jordan and Northern Iraq in order to attack Iraq by land and air. Built on that, Washington seeks to have 80,000 troops in Turkey and specifies the names of 6 bases and three ports it wants to use within the Turkish territories, stressing that Washington set its recent position concerning striking Iraq - even if Saddam Hussein quits his authority.
Arabic News, 1/9/2003
Article republished courtesy of Arabic News: http://www.arabicnews.com
Previous Stories:
Millyet: Turkish tanks incurred in Northern Iraq (1/7/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030107/2003010702.html
Milliyet: Turkey for a Swiss system in Iraq (1/4/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030104/2003010408.html
Turkey for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi issue (1/3/2003)
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030103/2003010304.html