Iraqi F.M. Says Turkish Troops In Iraq Are Welcome Under Nato Umbrella

ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - The Iraqi Interim Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Sunday that Iraq would welcome Turkish troops to train and equip the Iraqi security forces if they arrive under the umbrella of NATO.
The Foreign Minister, arriving in Istanbul to attend the NATO Summit, told reporters that the new Iraqi government has asked NATO for help for military training and equipment.
Asked how the Iraqi people would react to Turkish troops in Iraq under the NATO umbrella, Zebari said that they would welcome Turkish troops as part of the NATO forces to train Iraqi forces.
Last year, Iraqi Kurds and Arabs strongly opposed the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq. The Turkish government later dropped plans to send peacekeeping forces to Iraq.
The Iraqi Kurdish Foreign Minister said that NATO would determine how troops will be deployed in Iraq. "The Iraqi troops should be trained by NATO Forces in Iraq not elsewhere."
The possible NATO role in Iraq will be discussed at the NATO summit starting today.