http://www.boston.com/dailynews/359/world/Top_Turkish_general_strongly_o:.shtml

Top Turkish general strongly opposes targeting Iraq, fears formation of Kurdish state

By Selcan Hacaoglu, Associated Press, 12/25/2001 19:50

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's top general argued against targeting Iraq in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, saying Tuesday that it could lead to an undesired Kurdish state on Turkey's borders.

Turkey supports the current war on terrorism and served as the launching pad for attacks against Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and host U.S. and British warplanes enforcing a no-fly zone above northern Iraq since then.

Although, Turkey's parliament on Tuesday extended that mission's mandate for six months as it did for years, Washington would still need Turkey's consent to use Turkish bases to stage possible attacks on Iraq.

''Is there any new mistake committed by Iraq? Or accounts of 10 years ago are being settled?,'' Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, chief of the general staff, told reporters Tuesday evening. His comments reflected skepticism about Iraq emerging as a possible target.

Advocates of attacking Iraq argue that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is trying to restart programs to build weapons of mass destruction, which U.N. inspectors tried to dismantle after the 1991 Gulf War. Inspectors have not been allowed into Iraq since departing ahead of U.S. airstrikes in late 1998.

Kivrikoglu indicated that if Saddam is ousted, Iraqi Kurds would take advantage of a power vacuum to set up a Kurdish state which may boost aspirations of autonomy-seeking Kurds inside Turkey.

''Nobody would like this country (Iraq) to fall apart and the emergence of new ethnic states,'' said Kivrikoglu.

President Bush has said the U.S. war against terrorism would not be limited to Afghanistan, but has not said what country might next become a U.S. military target. Iraq has emerged as one possibility, along with Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2001

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http://www.boston.com/dailynews/359/world/Turkey_extends_cooperation_f or:.shtml

Turkey extends cooperation for U.S. to use base to patrol over Iraq

By Associated Press, 12/25/2001 16:50

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Parliament on Tuesday renewed permission for a U.S.-led force to use a Turkish air base to patrol a no-fly zone over northern Iraq.

Allied planes take off from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey to monitor the zone established to protect Kurds. Parliament has extended the mandate for the patrols every six months since the end of the 1991 Gulf War when the zone was established.

Advocates of attacking Iraq next in the U.S. war on terrorism argue that Saddam is trying to rebuild a program for weapons of mass destruction that U.N. inspectors tried to dismantle after the 1991 Gulf War. Inspectors have not been allowed into Iraq since departing ahead of U.S. airstrikes in late 1998.

Iraq has since rejected the northern and southern no-fly zones and has routinely challenged allied aircraft since December 1998.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2001