ANKARA - Following the decision taken by the parliament on deployment of Turkish soldiers in Iraq, the uncertainty regarding the negotiation process between Turkey and U.S. still continues.
Diplomatic sources recalled on Thursday that Turkey was ready for the process, adding that U.S. tried to consider if deployment of Turkish soldiers in Iraq would be fine or not and that they could not reach a decision within themselves.
Sources said that it was known that Turkish soldiers wanted to go to Iraq to bring stability to this country, adding that U.S. searched for an answer to the question as to whether an unstable atmosphere could come out in case of deployment of Turkish soldiers in Iraq.
Sources said that they also started to evaluate the statements issued both in Iraq and in other regional countries which didn't want foreign soldiers to go to Iraq. Sources stressed that the motion was adopted in the Turkish parliament rapidly and that appointment within U.S. regarding the reconstruction of Iraq also affected the decision-taking mechanism.
Meanwhile in the meeting between U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal last Tuesday, U.S. side didn't bring a new proposal to Turkey about the terrorist organisation PKK/KADEK. Sources said that the process started about eradication of the terrorist organisation from the north of Iraq still continued, but that no concrete step was taken yet.
(ÖŞ-AY) 16.10.2003