BAGHDAD - AK Party deputies Turhan Comez and Cevdet Erdol who hold contacts in Iraq, toured the streets of Baghdad on Saturday and talked to people about coming of Turkish soldiers to Iraq.
The deputies asked the views of the tradesmen in Al Rashid and Kerrubi, the most crowded districts of Baghdad about the issue of coming of Turkish soldiers to Iraq.
The Iraqi tradesmen were generally against Americans as the problems after the war were not overcome, but they were positive about coming of Turkish soldiers to Iraq on condition that they should not come to Iraq under the command of U.S.
An Iraqi tradesman Emir Ali said that he wanted Turkish soldiers to come to Iraq, but this should not be by the instruction of U.S. President Bush, he added.
An Iraqi young man Ali Rýza said that the biggest problem in the country was lack of security, adding that if Turkish soldiers could do that, he would be happy with the coming of Turkish soldiers.
An Iraqi pharmacist Haydar said he preferred Turks to Americans as Turks were Muslim.
Iraqi retired captain Vehit Halit said that he was not against Turkish soldiers, but Turkish soldiers should not come with American tanks, he added. Noting that they liked Turks very much, Halit said that the resistance against Americans would further increase.
Other tradesmen said that Iraqis would accept Turkish soldiers if they were coming to Iraq together with other Muslim countries, adding that they only wanted installation of security in the country.
While another Iraqi Fadýl Abbas said that ''the U.S. saved both Iraq and also the world from Saddam Hussein,'' a Shii tribe leader Abbas Benderogna commented that ''the statues of Bush and Blair had to be erected as they saved the county from a tyrant.''
(ÖÞ) 24.08.2003