ANKARA - If an agreement is reached with the United States, the motion on deployment of foreign soldiers in Turkey and sending soldiers abroad can be submitted to the parliament next week.
Foreign Ministry officials said on Thursday night that there was a document having more than 100 pages on which Turkey and the United States carry out negotiations within the scope of a possible Iraqi operation. This document covers the demands of Turkey from the United States and the demands of the United States from Turkey.
Officials said that it was not possible to give clear information about the issues on which the sides have reached consensus to date, adding that the document even covers the cost of the piece of writing on the card that will be put on the collar of soldiers whom Turkey will send.
Noting that the relations of Turkey with the United States reached a more advanced level recently, officials said that the United States was earlier warm to the idea of foundation of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq in the past, but later it gave up this idea due to the developing relations with Turkey.
Foreign Ministry officials said that the United States' entering a war without Turkey would increase the costs of the United States, adding that if a front was opened in Northern Iraq, the United States would get an easier result from a possible war.
Officials remarked that the U.S. administration told Turkey 1.5 months ago that ''it would be pleased if Turkey could give a response within three days,'' but Turkey could not give a reply in that period. U.S. President George W. Bush told Foreign Minister Yasar Yakýs and State Minister Ali Babacan in Washington D.C. that ''the period that would be given until Feb. 18 was the final period.''
Yakýs and Babacan told Bush that ''if possible, we could try to get it done on Feb. 18 or earlier, but Feb. 18 is the period just before the feast of sacrifice holiday of deputies. The deputies were in their own election districts during the holiday. The ninety percent of our people is against war. After getting contact with the people, our deputies won't accept a motion when they come back to Ankara. This would be to your disadvantage.''
Bush said in his part that ''we made our military plans according to the estimation that the motion would be adopted by Turkish parliament on Feb. 18. If we can't get this result until that date, we must look at other alternatives. This is our plan,'' officials said, adding that the statements of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who said that Turkey had to convey its response to the U.S. until the end of Feb. 20 should not be considered as an ultimatum.
Officials said if an agreement was reached with the U.S., the motion could be submitted to the parliament next week.
(ÖS-AÖ) 21.02.2003