American and Turkish Officials Continue Negotiations

American and Turkish officials are still engaged in finalizing the details of an agreement that would allow U.S. soldiers to be stationed in Turkey for a potential war against Iraq. According to these officials, discussions in Ankara continued until late last night and early this morning. Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis stated that the two sides have reached an agreement on the political and military aspects of the deal. However, he noted that discussions regarding the amount of economic aid from the United States to Turkey are still ongoing. Turkish officials say that this agreement will not be officially sent to the Turkish parliament until it reaches a final stage. The Turkish parliament must approve the deal before the deployment of American soldiers, who are currently waiting on ships off the Turkish coast. Anadolu Agency reported that according to Mehmet Ali Sahin, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, the agreement would allow 62,000 American soldiers to remain in Turkey for six months. U.S. military planners intend to use Turkish military bases as a potential launch pad for attacks against Iraq from the north of that country. In return, American officials will provide billions of dollars in credits and loans to help protect Turkey's economy from the damages of war. Most of the Turkish population opposes the U.S. war against Iraq. However, Turkish television reported yesterday that Prime Minister Abdullah Gul stated that his cabinet ministers agree that the cost of Turkey remaining on the sidelines would be greater than direct involvement in potential war plans against Iraq.