Turkey rejection stuns US

2003-03-01 21:35

Washington - The United States appeared stunned by the Turkish parliament's refusal on Saturday to allow the deployment of US troops for a possible war with Iraq.

US officials, who had been prepared to hail the parliament's approval of the deployment based on initial reports that the vote had succeeded, expressed consternation when told that it had in fact been defeated.

"They did what?" blurted one State Department official.

That official and others declined to comment on the nullification of the close vote and were seeking clarification from the US embassy in Ankara as well as Turkish authorities.

Washington had placed great importance on the vote and had lobbied the Turks relentlessly to approve the deployment, sweetening the pot by offering some six billion dollars in aid to the Muslim nation, where public opposition to a possible war with Iraq is overwhelming.

After hearing the first reports that the parliament had approved access for US troops, the United States was set to laud the move and praise the Turkish government for its courage, according to a reaction prepared by the State Department.

"We warmly welcome the decision of the Turkish parliament to permit US forces to enter Turkey for possible military operations towards Iraq," it said. "We applaud the courageous leadership of the Turkish government."

"This vote is a further sign of the strong strategic partnership between our countries and our joint commitment to ensure that the Iraqi regime complies with UN Security Council Resolution 1441 and eliminates its weapons of mass destruction.

"The United States and Turkey share a common vision of an Iraq free of all forms of oppression on the way to a free, peaceful and prosperous future in accordance with the principles of the UN charter," it said.

After it became clear the vote had failed, one US official said the earlier language was "no longer operative."

It was not immediately clear if a new reaction would be prepared.

- AFP