TURKEY: 150-MEMBER U.S. TEAM ARRIVES TO BEGIN SURVEY OF THREE AIR BASES AND TWO PORTS

Record ID: 645685

  • Title: TURKEY: 150-MEMBER U.S. TEAM ARRIVES TO BEGIN SURVEY OF THREE AIR BASES AND TWO PORTS
  • Date: 14th January 2003
  • Summary: (U3) DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (JANUARY 10, 2003) (REUTERS) SLV DIYARBAKIR AIRBASE; SLV PLANE HANGARS; SLV CIVIL PLANE TAKING OFF; SLV CONTROL TOWER; SLV BASE (W4) DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (JANUARY , 2003) (REUTERS) SLV DIYARBAKIR AIRBASE; SLV HANGARS AT DIYARBAKIR AIRBASE; SLV PLANE LEAVING HANGAR; SLV BASE; SLV PLANE DEPARTING FROM AIRBASE (W4) ANKARA, TURKEY (JANUARY 13, 2003) (REUTERS) MV SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUQ AL-SHARA ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUQ AL-SHARA SAYING "Our point of view is common, with regards to the attitude against Iraq, a war towards Iraq is a war towards the future of the whole region." SLV NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUQ AL-SHARA SAYING "To find a peaceful resolution to the Iraq problem, we prefer to act together." MV SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AL-SHARA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE MV SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AT PRIME MINISTRY; MV SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WITH TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ABDULLAH GUL (3 SHOTS) Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ADANA, DIYARBAKIR AND ANKARA, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAEFAW848YUSMSGD94ZM4QGE0XP
  • Story Text: A 150-member U.S. team arrived in southeastern Turkey to begin a survey of three air bases and two ports, according to the NTV television station.
    Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara who met with Turkish officials in Ankara said he wants a peaceful solution to the Iraq conflict for the whole region.
    The delegations were reported to have arrived in Turkey on Monday (January 13, 2003) after Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday (January 10) he had authorised the U.S.
    military to inspect Turkish bases to see how useful they would be in any war on neighbouring Iraq, state media said.
    NATO-member Turkey is opposed to a war and is dragging its feet over U.S. requests for firm commitments of support if Washington attacks Baghdad, which it accuses of developing weapons of mass destruction.
    U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said last month that the United States was prepared to invest millions in upgrading Turkish bases if Washington used them for a war.
    Inspections could be a first step in that direction.
    Turkish air bases are likely to play a major role in an air war widely expected to precede any assault on Iraq.
    But Turkey fears that war could threaten its security and spell disaster for a fragile economy rocked by a financial crisis in 2001.
    Ankara is negotiating with the United States on a multi billion dollar package of credits and loans designed to protect the economy from the fallout of a war.
    Diplomats say reasonable estimates of the cost of war range from 4-15 billion U.S. dollars, including factors such as falling tourism revenues and rising borrowing costs.
    Turkey also fears a conflict in Iraq could spread unrest among its Kurdish population if Iraqi Kurds take advantage of the turmoil to seek independence.
    The vast majority of Turks oppose war and the foreign minister said earlier this week that public opinion would not support any large U.S. troop deployment in Turkey.
    Newspaper reports have said Washington wants to move as many as 80,000 troops through Turkey.
    Military analysts say that while the main thrust of any attack on Iraq is unlikely to come from Turkey, to Iraq's north, using Turkey to open a second front would help to split Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces.
    Gul sent Baghdad a letter on Friday appealing to Iraq to comply with United Nations resolutions to avoid war. Iraq denies having weapons of mass destruction.
    Meanwhile on Monday, Syria's Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara met with the Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah (ab-doul-la) Gul (gul), President Ahmet (ah-med) Necdet (na-jdat) Sezer (cae-sar) and Turkish counterpart Yasar Yakis in Ankara. At a news conference at the airport Al-Shara said "Our point of view is common, with regards to the attitude against Iraq, a war towards Iraq is a war towards the future of the whole region."
    Al-Shara said at the news conference that they would act all together for a peaceful resolution in the region.
    "To find a peaceful resolution to the Iraq problem, we prefer to act together," he said.
    Syria joined the rest of the United Nations security council members last November when it voted in favour of a tough resolution giving Iraqi President Saddam Hussein one last chance to disarm or face "serious consequences"
    The Syrian Minister is expected to have another news conference after having met with the Turkish Prime Minister Gul and Turkish President Sezer.
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