TURKEY AND US START PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ON IRAQ-EXIT STRATEGY

Hurriyet
Feb 23 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – Turkey and the U.S. have officially began preliminary talks
on the use of Turkish soil for the transfer of American troops,
arms and other logistic equipment in Iraq, diplomatic sources said.

Diplomats, along with military officials from both countries, have come
to the table to discuss the details of the issue, the sources added.

U.S. army chief, Adm. Mike Mullen has said the Pentagon has already
examined possible exit routes through Turkey and Jordan. Both
countries, longtime U.S. allies, support the withdrawal planning
contingencies, said Mullen. Another alternative exit route passes
through Kuwait.

However, an Associated Press report said during the weekend that the
U.S. military is working through logistic obstacles and bottlenecks
as it tests possible exit routes, including Turkey, Kuwait and Jordan,
for battlefield equipment ahead of the withdrawal from Iraq.

The U.S. has already constructed bridge overpasses for heavy tanks
on the road between the Iraqi border and the Mediterranean ports of
Iskenderun and Mersin.

ANOTHER DECREE CRISIS?

As a sign that the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq is imminent, Turkey has
extended an agreement with the U.S. that opens the Incirlik base to
use by American forces as a "logistic hub," the sources added.

According to the agreement, the U.S. cannot bring "lethal" weapons
and/or materials through Incirlik; it can use the base as a central
inbound/outbound station for its soldiers.

If the U.S. decides to use Turkey as an exit route, approval of the
Turkish parliament would be required. The deeper negotiations will
start once such a decision is made, the sources in Ankara underlined.

In March 2003, parliament rejected a decree to allow U.S. troops to
launch their invasion of Iraq from Turkish territory. The agreement
on the Incirlik base came after a rejection of the decree.

Speculation in Ankara suggests that Turkey might play this card against
the Armenian attempts to have their claims regarding the 1915 incidents
recognized by the U.S. Congress.

According to the speculation, Turkey could pledge to open its borders
to the U.S. on the condition that a legislation that would recognize
the Armenian claims would not come to the agenda of the U.S. Congress.