TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on Turkish-Iraqi and US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
Prior to the Gulf War, Bulent Ecevit traveled to Baghdad and warned Saddam Hussein that if he did not order his forces to evacuate Kuwait, the US would attack Iraq. Turgut Ozal, then Turkey's president resented Ecevit's visits and Ecevit was branded as a 'friend of Saddam' by his opponents. Now, years later, Ecevit is warning Saddam for a second time. This warning which was made secretly at first is being made openly now. Following his recent visit to the US, Ecevit has begun to speak more clearly. He is saying that if Iraq does not allow UN inspectors to look for evidence of weapons of mass destruction, America would move against Saddam. This would mean the deaths of thousands of Iraqis. Washington may start a war on Iraq with air bombardments. It will tell the date of such an operation only to its closest allies such as Great Britain and Turkey. Turkey will participate in this war in one way or another to avoid the division of Iraq. If Saddam abandons manufacturing weapons of mass destruction or proves to the world that the allegations that it possesses such weapons are false by allowing in UN inspectors, he will thwart the US project. But can Saddam show such common sense?
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION