Sabah: US secret delegation to East Turkey relating to Iraq

The Turkish daily Sabah said on Wednesday that an American technical experts in the field of aviation arrived secretly in Deyar Baker military base to the East of Turkey and held an inspection tour on it in order to follow up all exercises carried out in the base by F-16 warplanes.

The paper indicated that small American cargo planes are landing and taking off on weekly basis from Deyar baker base, and that Washington is planning to deploy 2000 troops in the base in case a military operation is launched against Iraq.

The paper indicated that the American delegation which is composed of 15 persons had left Turkey on Tuesday and will prepare a plenary report on the possibility of using or not using the base during a likely military operation against Iraq.