Detention Of Turkish Soldiers By U.S. Soldiers In North Of Iraq

ANKARA/SULAYMANIYAH - Eleven Turkish soldiers on duty in Sulaymaniyah city in the north of Iraq who were detained by U.S. soldiers on Friday were released late on Sunday after intense diplomatic initiatives.
Cook Emel Begler and her 15-year-old son were the first two detainees who were released by the U.S. soldiers.
Begler told A.A correspondent that they were under detention for 48 hours and said, ''U.S. soldiers entered inside breaking the doors. Then, they aimed at Turkish soldiers. I wanted to prevent it. Then, we fought with U.S. soldiers. They hit me in the arm with their weapons.''
Noting that they were handcuffed and sacks were put on their heads, Begler said, ''they detained us at the airport in Kirkuk where U.S. soldiers were present. They released us after we testified.''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney by phone after Turkish soldiers were detained by U.S. soldiers in north of Iraq.
Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin, Prime Ministry Foreign Policy Chief Adviser Ender Arat, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy leader Saban Disli, spoke to Cheney by phone by some time.
The phone conversation lasted for almost half an hour.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Foreign Ministry investigated the bureau where Turkish soldiers were detained in Sulaymaniyah.
Foreign Ministry representative in Silopi Communication Office Hidayet Eris, who headed the delegation, told A.A correspondent that military satellite system in the bureau was totally destroyed and nearly 30 M-16 and AK-47 weapons, and computers, maps, satellite photographs, 106 thousand U.S. dollars in steel case and transceivers were lost.
Eris noted that one jeep, two pickup trucks, and a car were also lost, adding that equipment in the bureau were in unusable situation.
Iraq Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) officials whom they met on Sunday morning told them that ''they were their guest and it was a humiliating act for them,'' Eris added.
Later, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that they hoped that this ''ugly incident would end on Sunday night the latest.''
Speaking in the congress of the AK Party in Ankara, Gul said that particularly Prime Minister Erdogan, himself, Office of General Staff and the Foreign Ministry were in an extraordinary effort to solve the issue as soon as possible.
Stressing that Turkish delegation who went to Iraq continued contacts, Gul said, ''we are in contact with Washington in the highest level. Some circles can want deterioration of relations between the two allies. Some circles can make unreal intelligence. All these can be bad willed moves, but we believe that we will not give opportunity to these bad willed circles. And, this unpleasant incident will be over soon. Because, as Turkey, we want Iraq's normalization, its participation in international system as soon as possible and tranquility of the Iraqi people. We want Iraqi people to have their own civilian governments.''
Gul stated that what Turkey was doing from the outset was exerting efforts for normalization of Iraq and nobody should misunderstand or misled.
Foreign Minister Gul demanded that Turkey's friendship and alliance not to be harmed.
At the same time, Prime Minister Erdogan stated that Turkish soldiers detained by U.S. soldiers in Iraq would be released.
Later, the Prime Ministry issued a statement in which it said that 11 Turkish soldiers detained in Iraq by U.S. forces ''were expected to be returned to Turkish officials in Sulaymaniyah after contacts to take place between Turkish and U.S. soldiers in a few hours.''
The statement said that Erdogan spoke to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney at 4.45 p.m. on Sunday.
In the phone conversation, Erdogan said that very troublesome moments were being experienced for 50 hours.
The statement noted, ''Prime Minister Erdogan asked Cheney to intervene and provide release of our soldiers. He said that it would be appropriate to take up all dimensions of the issue by a joint commission to be formed afterwards. He also noted that any approach other than this method would not fit the two allies, adding that otherwise, negative effects of this incident on our relations could not be prevented.''
Cheney said that Turkish soldiers could be returned to Turkish officials in Sulaymaniyah rapidly and that a joint commission to be established by military authorities could make an investigation in Sulaymaniyah.
What was of prior importance for Turkey was release of Turkish soldiers as soon as possible, the statement quoted Erdogan as saying.
The statement said, ''Cheney said that he was in Wyoming at the moment and he would go to Washington soon. He would re-contact with Prime Minister Erdogan after he talked to his colleagues. Cheney also said that they attached great importance to development of Turkish-U.S. relations and was sure that they would exert concerted efforts not to affect relations by such incidents.''
''Turkish and military officials in the region will take up the issue in a few hours. Following that, our private team personnel is expected to be released. Both sides will jointly investigate the incident,'' the statement added.
Later, it was reported that the meeting between Turkish delegation in Sulaymaniyah and U.S. officials could start at night or could be suspended to the following day.
A high-level diplomatic source said that the crisis entered into a solution process and detained Turkish soldiers could be released that night or the following day the latest.
Meanwhile, U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell spoke to Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul by phone and confirmed the agreement reached by Erdogan and Cheney on releasing Turkish soldiers.
Diplomatic sources said that Powell, who called Gul around 9.00 p.m., confirmed the agreement between Cheney and Erdogan while Gul stressed that Turkish soldiers should be released as soon as possible and drew attention to problems of a delay.
This phone talk was the third between Powell and Gul after detention of Turkish soldiers in Sulaymaniyah.
It was later claimed that Turkish soldiers might not be released at night due to electricity cut and security concerns that might occur due to that.
Diplomatic sources stated that talks between Turkish delegation and U.S. officials had started and said that there were officials from both the Foreign Ministry and the Office of General Staff in the region.
Eleven Turkish soldiers who were detained in Sulaymaniyah, the north of Iraq, by U.S. soldiers and taken to Baghdad were released late on Sunday.
Sources said that Turkish soldiers would spend the night in a guest house under U.S. control due to security concerns.
Eleven Turkish soldiers and 13 civilians who were detained in the north of Iraq by U.S. soldiers came to Sulaymaniyah at 7.15 a.m. local time on Monday.
The group who came to Sulaymaniyah by three U.S. helicopters are now in communication office of Turkish soldiers.
Foreign Ministry representative in Communication Office in Silopi said that military equipment had also been returned.
Eris said, ''our friends and equipment have been given back. U.S. officials expressed their distress over the incident in our contacts yesterday.''
A committee would be formed by Turkish and U.S. officials and the incident would be investigated, Eris added.
Turkish officials started to count the returned equipment.
Meanwhile, it was learned that there was a British businessman named Michael Todd among the detainees.
It is noted that the businessman who is currently in Baghdad would be released when British officials came.
It is stated that the businessmen was detained when he was walking around during the raid of U.S. soldiers.
(BRC-AÖ) 07.07.2003