MILLIYET- Columnist Derya Sazak writes on Turkish Parliament’s stance on the Iraq crisis. A summary of his column is as follows:
Will the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) prepare another proposal authorizing US troops to be stationed at Turkey’s military facilities?
Looking at AKP members’ recent statements trying to prevent any possible fluctuations in financial markets after US Secretary of State Colin Powell phoned Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, I guess that a new proposal might be prepared in line with the future developments concerning the Iraq crisis.
Sources state that Office of Prime Minister is currently looking for a new way to reach consensus with the members of Parliament. Let’s take a look at the latest developments: Gul met with Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok and then President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. A number of AKP members recently remarked that negotiations with the US have not completed yet. The IMF and Bush administration reiterated that their economic assistance to Turkey would continue without any hitches. Washington’s recent remarks that it respected Turkish Parliament’s decision should not be regarded as a democratic reaction but another strategy indicating that Bush will never give up negotiating with Turkey. In other words, a new negotiation process is about to begin. The US still hopes that a proposal authorizing its troops will pass the Turkish Parliament within a week.
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix is expected to present a new report to the UN on March 7. The US is trying to find a diplomatic way to overcome the crisis created by France vetoing another resolution which would legitimize use of force upon Iraq.
Ankara is in fact expected to prepare a new proposal if the US manages to win international legitimacy by a new UN resolution. On the other hand, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul’s and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s influences upon their political party are currently under suspicion. Will Parliament which recently rejected a proposal change its stance? I don’t think so. There are many ministers which will not sign such a proposal. They are resisting against Gul and Erdogan. I believe that a new proposal would not be accepted at Parliament.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION