Erdogan: Turkey Does Not Insist On Sending Soldiers To Iraq

ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey did not insist on sending soldiers to Iraq.
Erdogan, who returned from Italy to Turkey, replied to questions of reporters on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq.
Prime Minister Erdogan said that if Turkey was to send soldiers to Iraq, it would send them for happiness of Iraqi people.
Erdogan noted that they were evaluating the issue and added that they had not made a decision on dispatch of soldiers yet.
Around 2-3 thousand lorries and trucks were transporting food and medicine from Turkey to Iraq every day, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said, ''if Turkey is to send soldiers to Iraq, it will send them for happiness of Iraqi people. We have neighborly relations with Iraq. And, that's why we will take part in such an effort. We don't insist on sending soldiers to Iraq. I think that members of the interim governing council in Iraq should firstly consider what they are saying.''
Prime Minister Erdogan replied in negative to the question if Iraq issue came onto agenda during his meeting with French prime minister.
(BRC) 07.09.2003