Free Republic

In August an editor from Kazakhstan was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for “divulging state secrets” in an article which dealt with the relationship between the state security service KNB and a local distillery owner. Therefore the European Union has issued a declaration which states that journalists should be free to report on all issues of interest to the public, including commentary on how the state is run. All member states have signed as well as candidate countries Croatia and Macedonia, potential future members Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro together with Island and Norway. The only country which has...

ANKARA, Turkey - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed Saturday that Turkey will be the Islamic nation that President Barack Obama visits to keep his pledge of going to the Muslim nation in his first 100 days. Clinton said the visit would come "in the next month or so." It's likely to come at the end of Obama's trip to London, Germany, France and the Czech Republic for the G-20, NATO and US-European Union leader summits in late March and early April.

US President George W. Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted their desire to overcome differences over the Iraq war that created tensions, as they met here. Ankara had been one of Washington's closest allies until 2003, when it refused to allow US troops to use its territory as a launching pad for their invasion of Iraq, cooling relations between the two NATO members. After meeting with Erdogan at the White House, Bush praised democracy in Turkey as "an important example for the people in the broader Middle East." The White House also expressed support, ahead of the...

IZMIT, Turkey, June 10 - Zeynel Erdem, a leading Turkish businessman, came to Izmit, a seaside industrial town, to give 400 of his prominent peers a message. "Don't count on the European Union," he told the crowd after a chicken dinner in a hotel ballroom here. "Look to the U.S.; they're our real friends." That view is spreading in Turkey, a sprawling land of 70 million people who have yearned for decades to become a part of Europe. With the European Union in political disarray after the French and Dutch rejected a European constitution, and with opposition to Turkish membership...

Turkey finally agrees to U.S. request to use air base4/26/2005 7:00:00 PM GMTAfter months of delay, Turkey's Cabinet approved a long-standing U.S. request to have increased access to a strategic air base for flying into Iraq and Afghanistan.The Cabinet’s decision was another step toward improving relations with Washington that were strained when Turkey refused to allow U.S. troops to stage an invasion of Iraq from Turkish territory in March 2003.The Cabinet’s decree which allows the United States to fly in more cargo planes into the southern Incirlik Air Base for one year beginning in June was sent to President Ahmet...

ANKARA, Turkey - After months of delay, Turkey's Cabinet on Monday approved a long-standing U.S. request to have increased access to a strategic air base for flying into Iraq and Afghanistan. The decision was another step toward improving relations with Washington that were strained when Turkey refused to allow U.S. troops to stage an invasion of Iraq from Turkish territory in March 2003. A Cabinet decree — allowing the United States to fly in more cargo planes into the southern Incirlik Air Base for one year beginning in June — was sent to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer for approval, the...

Ankara The government is close to making its decision on a Washington proposal to use the southern air base of Incirlik as a cargo hub for U.S. forces operating in the region, said a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). A decision on the issue will be made very soon. I cannot tell you when exactly since I am not in the government but it will be very soon, Murat Mercan, AKP's deputy chairman told a meeting in Washington, called, "Can the U.S.-Turkish Relationship be Repaired" Other attendees of the event, hosted by the American Enterprise Institute,...

Turkey, who assumed responsibility within the framework of the decision made by NATO, will train the Iraqi police. The training is expected to be carried out, both inside and outside Iraq. NATO leaders came to an agreement on training security forces to end violence in Iraq. Secondly, NATO decided to reinforce its international peace force troops in Afghanistan. The number of NATO troops is to be increased up to 10 thousand in September. Besides these decisions, the NATO leaders decided to delegate power to the European Union in Bosnia in which NATO has been in charge for 9 years.

ISTANBUL, June 27 — President Bush reassured Turkey on Sunday that it was once again a friend in good standing, despite its refusal to support American troops in the invasion of Iraq last year. Meanwhile, administration officials pressed other reluctant NATO allies to commit themselves to rebuilding Iraq's security forces. On the eve of a two-day NATO summit meeting that will be dominated by Iraq and the rifts caused by the American invasion, Mr. Bush concentrated on the theme of reconciliation and on refocusing the alliance to use its military muscle in new ways, especially in Iraq. "We are going...

Soon after the Turkish Parliament failed to approve a motion to allow American troops on Turkish soil and thus open a northern front against Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army, the atmosphere between Ankara and Washington really became polluted and there were speculations that President George W. Bush had written-off Turkey. But time has proven to be a real remedy in Turkish-American relations, thus allowing both sides to iron out serious misunderstandings, getting to understand the concerns of each other and making amends. Of course the fact that the Americans seriously misjudged the realities of Iraq and duly made mistakes have also...

Turkey's prime minister reinforced his country's commitment to the war on terror today, and he thanked President Bush for adding another alias of a group operating in his country to the U.S. State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bush spoke to reporters briefly after a morning meeting, Erdogan's second visit to the Oval Office. They were scheduled to continue their meeting over lunch. The Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, and various aliases the organization uses – the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress, or KADEK, for example – already were on the list. Erdogan...

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - The American military has begun using an air base in southern Turkey for a massive rotation of troops in and out of Iraq, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday, in a sign of improved U.S.-Turkish relations. Turkish permission to use its Incirlik air base marks a sharp contrast to last year, when the country - opposed to the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein - refused to allow U.S. troops on its territory for the war against its southern neighbor. It also comes as NATO ally Turkey is increasingly eager to win favor...

By ROBERT BURNS AP Military Writer WASHINGTON (AP)--Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday left open the possibility that Turkey's offer to deploy thousands of troops to Iraq--a move seen just weeks ago as a critical breakthrough for U.S. diplomacy--could be dropped because of Iraqi opposition. Turkish officials have indicated in recent days that the proposed deployment, approved by the Turkish Parliament on Oct. 7, could unravel if opposition remains strong. Asked whether the Bush administration's interest was waning, Rumsfeld suggested that the Turks had set conditions that might not be met. ``What the Turkish government did--at least my understanding...

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's Cabinet agrees to deploy troops to help stabilize Iraq, seeks authorization from Parliament.

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's military is ready to serve in a multinational peacekeeping force in neighboring Iraq (news - web sites), a top general said Sunday. With U.S. military manpower stretched thin, the United States is looking to several countries, including Turkey, for additional troops in Iraq. It hopes to replace some of the exhausted U.S. units with non-American troops. The announcement by Gen. Yasar Buyukanit at a cocktail party for journalists in Ankara, could help ease public opposition against contributing to the U.S.-led operation. As a largely Muslim country, Turkey could help the United States gain support in the...

ISTANBUL -- Turkey will open its military bases, ports, and airports to the US-led coalition for logistical support in the rebuilding of Iraq, officials said yesterday. Turkey's Parliament had blocked use of its territory for combat against neighboring Iraq, a decision that strained relations with the United States. Use of the facilities during postwar reconstruction does not require Parliament's approval. In explaining the decision to allow coalition forces to use ports and airports, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul cited a new UN Security Council resolution that allows the United States and Britain to govern Iraq and use its oil wealth to...

Tehran, March 23, IRNA -- Mosul was bombarded Saturday night by American planes entering the northern Iraq's air space from Turkey. According to the Sunday issue of the Turkish daily Hurriyet, the American planes entered Turkish air space via Trabzon flying over the Black Sea before entering northern Turkey. "The planes then flew towards southern Turkey and entered Iraqi air space," added the report. The daily noted that Turkey opened its air space to American warplanes as of Saturday night, 11:00 p.m. Turkish time. Hurriyet said: "The American warplanes overflew Turkey's air space at 11:00 pm last night and in...

ANKARA, Turkey, Mar 19, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- The government asked parliament Wednesday to grant the U.S. military permission to use Turkish airspace in an Iraq war, a delayed decision that falls short of Washington's initial hopes to station ground troops in Turkey. The proposal would not allow U.S. planes to use Turkish air bases or refuel in Turkey. The United States also would not be able to use Incirlik air base, a sprawling facility that houses 50 U.S. fighters used to patrol a no-fly zone over Iraq. In the event of a war, fighters at Incirlik would...

Per Foxnews, Turkish PM says Turkish airspace opened to US aircraft.

Under almost any other circumstances, the fresh election to Parliament of Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan as MP for the province of Siirt would have been seen as an extremely significant event. The relatively young (he is 49) Erdogan was ­ in the 1990s ­ the epitome of the successful, clean-living and incorruptible public official when he was mayor of Istanbul. Since he was deposed from office in 1998, Erdogan became a symbol of oppression by the Turkish regime. He was jailed and banned from public life. Nevertheless, and with extraordinary determination, Erdogan led the new...

Turkey's top political and military leaders called on the government to take urgent action to allow in U.S. troops. The announcement came at the end of a meeting that included the leaders of Turkey's new government, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and top generals.

Siren is up at Drudge Report: Turkey will allow U.S. Troops! Developing . . .

<p>Turkey is taking a big risk if it sides with France and Germany.</p> <p>American officials were frantically working the phones yesterday, urging Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to win swift parliamentary approval at least for overflight rights in action against Iraq. No commitment was given. Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights has offered a timely reminder of what the Turks can expect for siding with France and Germany over the U.S.</p>

ANKARA — Turkey has quietly allowed the United States to conduct a military buildup despite the rejection of such a request by the nation's parliament. Turkish government sources and media reports said the U.S. military has brought armored vehicles, tanks and fighter-jets to Turkey as part of plans for a war against Iraq. So far, the United States has amassed a fleet of more than 100 fighter-jets in Turkey. The sources said the warplanes are in the southern Turkish base at Incerlik and include the F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and early-warning aircraft. The sources said Turkey has allowed the first of...

U.S. fighter jets, ships arrive in Turkey despite official rejection SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COMMonday, March 10, 2003 ANKARA — Turkey has quietly allowed the United States to conduct a military buildup despite the rejection of such a request by the nation's parliament. Turkish government sources and media reports said the U.S. military has brought armored vehicles, tanks and fighter-jets to Turkey as part of plans for a war against Iraq. So far, the United States has amassed a fleet of more than 100 fighter-jets in Turkey. The sources said the warplanes are in the southern Turkish base at Incerlik...

KIZILTEPE, Turkey March 9 — Several hundred U.S. soldiers unloaded trucks and jeeps Sunday at a newly established forward-operating base deep in southeastern Turkey, only 100 miles from the Iraqi border.The compound will serve as a logistics base for 62,000 U.S. troops, if Turkey allows the United States to use its territory to launch a northern front against Iraq in a war.The U.S. military is pushing ahead with preparations for a deployment even after the Turkish parliament last week narrowly rejected a resolution letting in American troops. The Turkish government as well as the military supports the deployment and says...

Turkey has just elected a new leader of Parliment. He is a pro US. Military official that says he will fire any official that opposes the stationing of US troops on the border of Iraq.

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - A top U.S. military official said on Monday a possible war in Iraq would be successful even without a northern front after the Turkish parliament blocked U.S. troops from deploying in Turkey. "I don't think it's absolutely a showstopper in terms of whether you have a northern front or not," said Gen. James L. Jones, the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and the Commander of the United States European Command. "We're going to be successful regardless of what we're limited to," he told a news conference at EUCOM headquarters in the southwestern German town of Stuttgart. "But...

ANKARA, Turkey, March 2 — Under intense American pressure, Turkey's foreign minister indicated today that his government would ask Parliament to vote a second time on whether to allow American troops to use the country as a base for a military attack against Iraq. The minister, Yasar Yakis, spoke one day after lawmakers here rejected such a plan. After a marathon meeting of senior officials, Mr. Yakis said that his government would take a new resolution to Parliament later this week after the government completed an assessment of the first vote. "The process will be completed, and then it will...

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - The Pentagon says it can draw up alternative plans for a war against Iraq without Turkey as one of its launch pads, but analysts believe such a campaign would be slower, more costly and far more risky. The Turkish parliament's rejection of a plan to let 62,000 U.S. troops into the country all but ruled out the chance of opening a firm northern front against Baghdad, although analysts did not suggest it would delay the start of hostilities. In a sign of how important the Turkish bases are to its plans, Washington has offered Ankara...

ANKARA, Turkey, Mar 02, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- A top member of Turkey's governing party said Sunday that the government had no immediate plans to seek another vote in Parliament for the deployment of U.S. troops in the country for a war against Iraq after lawmakers, including some from the governing coalition, voted against the measure. The announcement by Eyup Fatsa, deputy head of the governing party's parliamentary group, signaled tension within the party over U.S. war plans, which included using Turkey to launch a northern front against Iraq should there be war. "The proposal has been delayed...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. defense officials said on Saturday they could quickly adjust their war plans for Iraq after the Turkish parliament refused to grant U.S. troops access to the country's bases for a possible invasion. "U.S. military planners make their living by planning for contingencies," a senior U.S. defense official said. "Our plans are flexible enough to meet any change." Though far from ideal, a strong option would be to insert thousands of troops into northern Iraq aboard Air Force cargo planes landing on existing primitive airstrips or highways, analysts say. U.S. officials still held out hope that Turkey...

Turkish Parliament Rejects U.S. Plan to Send 62,000 Combat Troops to Turkey for Iraq WarBy Louis Meixler Associated Press WriterPublished: Mar 1, 2003 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's parliament dealt a stunning blow to U.S. war planning Saturday by failing to approve a bill allowing in American combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq. The decision, which likely will strain ties with Washington, marked a setback to U.S. efforts to show Saddam Hussein that he is surrounded and his neighbors support a U.S.-led coalition. The parliament vote was 264-250 in favor, with 19 abstentions. But speaker Bulent Arinc...

<p>ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament speaker said on Saturday a motion to allow U.S. troops into the country for a possible war in Iraq had been rejected, a member of parliament told reporters. The issue is crucial to U.S. military plans and Turkey's relations with Washington.</p> <p>The vote, carried out behind closed doors, ended with 264 votes for and 251 votes against with 19 abstentions -- an apparent slim victory for the government.</p>

By SUZAN FRASER The Associated Press Saturday, March 1, 2003; 12:37 PM Turkey's parliament voted Saturday for deployment of 62,000 U.S. combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq, but the opposition immediately challenged the outcome. The vote was extremely close, 264-251 with 19 abstentions, and the opposition Republican People's Party quickly disputed it on the grounds that a majority of those present in the chamber did not vote in favor. Speaker Bulent Arinc and his deputies were meeting to discuss the next step. The measure would empower the government to authorize the basing of up to 62,000 troops,...

Turkey's Parliament Speaker Nullifies Vote to Allow Deployment of 62,000 U.S. Troops ANKARA, Turkey March 1 — In a serious blow to U.S. plans for a possible war with Iraq, Turkey's parliament speaker nullified the legisature's vote Saturday to allow deployment of 62,000 U.S. combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq.Speaker Bulent Arinc voided the vote on constitutional grounds, ruling that a majority of legislators present had not voted in favor. Arinc then closed parliament until Tuesday.The vote was 264-250 with 19 abstentions, four short of a simple majority.The bill's rejection is likely to seriously increase tensions...