Powell, Gul Hold Phone Talks after Turkish Parliament Rejects US Troop Deployment

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 03, 2003

Powell, Gul Hold Phone Talks after Turkish Parliament Rejects US Troop Deployment

US Secretary of State Colin Powell held phone talks with Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul Sunday to amend ties strained by Turkish Parliament's rejection of the US demand for troop deployment.

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US Secretary of State Colin Powell held phone talks with Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul Sunday to amend ties strained by Turkish Parliament's rejection of the US demand for troop deployment.

"Powell said that relations between US and Turkey, two friendly states, were solid," said a statement by Gul's office carried by the Anatolia news agency.

The two leaders also evaluated the result of the parliamentary vote and Powell "expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Turkish government for its efforts," the statement said.

Powell also promised that bilateral economic cooperation would "continue uninterrupted" and Washington will maintain consultations with Turkey on the future of Iraq, the statement added.

The phone conversation was held amid concerns that bilateral ties between Ankara and Washington were strained by the Saturday vote in Turkish Parliament, which rejected the government's motion to allow in 62,000 US troops on its soil for a possible attack on neighboring Iraq.

Washington has been pressing Ankara hard to approve the troop deployment so to set up a northern front in the planned attack on Iraq. US ships with tanks and other military supplies have been waiting off shore for Turkey's approval in the past week.

The United States has reportedly offered Ankara a huge economic aid package worth billions of US dollars in exchange for providing access to the US troops.

In the same motion, Turkish government was also seeking permission to send Turkish troops to northern Iraq to prevent the region's breakaway Kurds from declaring independence and massive refugees inflow from Iraq.

Turkey fears that Iraqi Kurds will take advantage of a war to declare independence, setting an example for Kurds in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party said Sunday it will consider whether to submit to the parliament a new motion on the US troop deployment.

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