ANKARA - Turkey asked the United States to make an explanation on the armed attack in Iraq in which a Turkish driver was killed.
Diplomatic sources said on Tuesday that Turkish officials in Baghdad had contacted U.S. officials to clarify the incident and an investigation had been launched through the Turkish Embassy into the armed attack.
Sources said that according to primary information they had received, U.S. soldiers who had opened fire were drunk, which proved that the U.S. army deployed in Iraq faced a serious problem.
Noting that results of the investigation would be followed also from Ankara if necessary, sources added that Ankara might ask the United States to make an apology or pay compensation according to results of the investigation.
In the fire opened by U.S. soldiers on June 18 near Ramadi city of Iraq, Turkish lorry driver Faysal Demir was killed while Turkish businessman Ali Musluoglu and their Iraqi guide Abu Vadah were wounded.
Musluoglu said they had not stopped as they could not see the check-point. ''We could not see the U.S. check-point in Ramadi. We stopped fifteen meters away of it. American soldiers came and they opened fire. Faysal Demir was shot in the head and Abu Vadah and I were shot in the legs.''
(MS-AÖ) 22.06.2004