Turkey Warns Support for U.S. Not Inevitable

Kant

Turkey warned the United States on Tuesday not to take for granted its support in a war against Iraq, backing which Washington needs to open a "northern front" against Saddam Hussein. Turkey asked the United States to nearly double its multibillion dollar aid package as a condition for allowing U.S. troops on its soil in a war against neighboring Iraq, diplomats said Tuesday. That's a beauty. :cool: Story...[^] Follow live World Cup Cricket scores here[^]

Rohit Sinha

Kant you know what, the one thing I like about you among others is that you always include a brief portion from the article you post the link to, so that we know what we are clicking on. Not one of those:

:wtf:

http://www.blahblah.com?storyid=5657657[^]

:laugh:

Nice. Kipitup. :thumbsup: :cool:
Regards,

Rohit Sinha

Character is like a tree, and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
- Abraham Lincoln

The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going.
- Anonymous

KaRl

Kant wrote: backing which Washington needs to open a "northern front" against Saddam Hussein. What "northern front"? I thought Turkey was the one threatened by an Iraqui attack?

Angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become demons Cowboy Bebop

Ed Gadziemski

Turkey wants protection against any Kurds that may be displaced by the US war on Iraq. They're afraid their own Kurds may want independence if the Iraqi Kurds get it, so the US is promising to pay Turkey a $26 billion (American billion with 9 zeroes) bribe and offering a guarantee that the Kurds in Iraq will be kept part of Iraq and not granted the independent democratic state they desire.

KaRl

My point was NATO gave (hardly) materials to the Turkey because it was threatened. No offensive was mentioned at this time. Kurdistan may deserve to exist as an independant country, because of the right to the people to the self-determination. Freeing Iraq because of democratic concerns and letting at the same time the Kurds under the Turkish, Iraqui, Irani and Syrian domination is contradictory

Angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become demons Cowboy Bebop

Rob Graham

Ed Gadziemski wrote: the US is promising to pay Turkey a $26 billion (American billion with 9 zeroes) bribe and offering a guarantee that the Kurds in Iraq will be kept part of Iraq and not granted the independent democratic state they desire. Check your facts. Turkey wants $20-30B to grant the US the right to station US troops in turkey as a 'jumping off point' for a northern front in the event the US decides to attack Iraq. The US is offerring $4-6B mostly in military loan forgiveness and "damage insurace". The US has already rejected the 20B request as being exhorbitant, and are looking at "other plans". The smaller offer still stands, but the 20B rent is too high. :) The Nato issue was always a separate thing, Turkey asked for defensive weaponry to protect against any consequenses if US invades Iraq (regardless of troop basing). I don't know what your source is on the Kurd issue, but AFAIK the US has made no such "garantee", only stated that it supports a unified Iraq (including the Kurds) as a post Saddam entity. Some ideas are so stupid that only an intellectual could have thought of them - George Orwell

Ed Gadziemski

Turkey is only threatened, and minimally at that, if the US starts a war against Iraq. It seems to me that goes beyond the mutual defense clause of NATO. If you and I go to a pub, Karl, and someone attacks you, I'll defend you. However, if you start the fight, you're on your own. If Turkey allows the US to launch an attack on Iraq from their territory, they need to assume responsibility for the consequences, eh? Yes, Kurdistan should be an independent country.

Jorgen Sigvardsson

Seriously, do you really buy this "We have to save Turkey from Iraq" bullshit? :) I find the story about red riding hood more likely than an Iraqi attack on Turkey. Clearly, it's the saviours that needs the northern front. If anything, the turks are somewhat worried about the possible "mass invasion" of Kurds fleeing from their lives. But if Turkey wants to be a member of the EU, they'll have to start treating the Kurds as the humans they are. -- Chatai. Yana ra Yakana ro futisha ta?

Ed Gadziemski

According to the proposal put forward by Turkish officials late Monday, Turkey is demanding $10 billion in grants and up to $20 billion in long-term loans, diplomats said. Turks and Americans had been negotiating on the basis of $4 billion to $6 billion in grants and $10 billion to $15 billion in loans, according to news reports and diplomats. The grants reportedly would be split between cash and military debt write-offs. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,78890,00.html[^] P.S. If you think debt writeoffs are free, please loan me $1,000,000 and then write it off. Thank you.

Jorgen Sigvardsson

Ed Gadziemski wrote: If you and I go to a pub, Karl, and someone attacks you, I'll defend you. However, if you start the fight, you're on your own. If Turkey allows the US to launch an attack on Iraq from their territory, they need to assume responsibility for the consequences, eh? Right on. :) -- Chatai. Yana ra Yakana ro futisha ta?

KaRl

Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: Seriously, do you really buy this "We have to save Turkey from Iraq" bullshit? I always liked demonstrations ab absurdo :-D

Angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become demons Cowboy Bebop

Jorgen Sigvardsson

I was beginning to worry about you! I had to ask, to see if I could help you on the right track again. I'm just looking out for ya, that's all. :) Sarcasm and the Internet. :-D The combination never works without an explanation (thus rendering it non-sarcastic!) Sacre bleu! :-D -- Chatai. Yana ra Yakana ro futisha ta?

ColinDavies

Ed Gadziemski wrote: If you and I go to a pub, Karl, and someone attacks you, I'll defend you. However, if you start the fight, you're on your own. Initially this seems to be very noble and sensible Ed. However there are other factors to consider. If you help Karl, will you both loose anyway, so will it make any real difference. Or if you don't help Karl, what will the Hotties over in the other corner think? (Lot of other scenarios are possible but I hope you see the point I'm driving at) As someone famous once said. "Nations don't have friends, nations have interests." Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

I'm guessing the concept of a 2 hour movie showing two guys eating a meal and talking struck them as 'foreign' Rob Manderson wrote:

Lost User

Colin Davies wrote: As someone famous once said. "Nations don't have friends, nations have interests." True. The tigress is here :-D

Ed Gadziemski

"Nations don't have friends, nations have interests." That's what I said. Turkey is interested in getting $26 billion. If the US wants their support, they will pay for it, just as they are paying many billions to other "friends" who are supporting the war against Iraq. Poland, Romania, Britain, Qatar, etc., all of them are getting paid. In the old days, countries paid mercenaries to fight for them. Today, countries pay other countries to look the other way.