Washington seeks Turkish official support over Iraq

The Turkish daily Daily News yesterday quoted sources at the Turkish cabinet as saying that Washington had sought to get an official commitment from Turkey to collaborate with it, and that it has received this commitment partially during the visit of the US under defense secretary and the assistant for the secretary of state to Ankara, noting that the extent Turkey will proceed in such a cooperation will be made clear through the negotiations to be held between Turkey and the USA in the coming days.

The same sources added that the Americans want to send a message to Baghdad saying that Iraq will be attacked not only from the south but also from the north through Turkey, which means that the Iraqis have to concentrate on two fronts.

The paper commented that the debated question is that "will Turkey permit the imposition of American soldiers on its territories and launching of land operations from its soils, at a time when Ankara announced its readiness to permit the use of its ports, airspace and airport."