Former Turkish President Unhappy About US Strike on IraqFormer Turkish President Suleyman Demirel on Sunday voiced displeasure at the US air strike against Iraq, reported the Anatolia News Agency."Not only Turkey but many other countries did not know anything about the air strike beforehand," Demirel told reporters. US and British warplanes Friday night bombed Iraqi communication and air defense targets outside the no-fly zones, killing two civilians and injuring 20 others, said Baghdad. "Turkey and the United States do not form a joint front against Iraq," he said. "We maintain contacts with Iraq and we are not consulting the United States about our own affairs with Iraq." Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has recently been seeking to improve economic ties with Iraq. Last month, it upgraded its diplomatic relations with Baghdad to ambassadorial level, a move that irritated Washington. "Iraq is an important country and its people suffered a lot. It is our neighbour and we should act accordingly," said Demirel. Demirel noted that it was not among Turkey's commitments to allow the US forces to use the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, therefore Turkey could not be pressured to do that. "Incirlik Air Base is a critical issue for the Turkish public opinion. Turkey will not allow the US forces to use this base in a way that would hurt itself. Today, there is no reason for the US to require the use of the base," he added. |
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