We're doing really well here on my thread guys.... 1289 replies and 21618 views... keep up the good work... yeeeeehhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa!!!
Turkey Vote on U.S. Troops Faces Delay Sunday February 16, 2003 8:10 PM ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The foreign minister said Sunday that a vote on allowing U.S. combat troops to use bases in Turkey for possible attacks on Iraq could be delayed after the NATO allies failed to agree on the size of an aid package. The Turkish parliament was expected to meet Tuesday to allow tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers to use Turkish facilities for a possible Iraq war. ``There are difficulties concerning the timing,'' Yasar Yakis, the foreign minister, told reporters at Ankara airport after returning from Washington. ``We have explained that we may not be able to bring the issue to parliament in a short period of time.'' Turkey's permission to use the bases would allow the United States to open a northern front against Iraq. U.S. officials have said that would shorten a war. Yakis said U.S. officials had ``explained the importance of the issue ... being settled by Feb. 18.'' Economy Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey and the United States failed to agree on the size of an aid package to cushion the frail Turkish economy from the effects of a possible conflict. The talks were held in Washington. ``There is no agreement yet on the size of the package,'' Babacan said at a joint press conference with Yakis. ``Discussions on a figure will continue.'' The State Department said Friday that discussions over the proposed multibillion-dollar aid package were productive. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met with Yakis, Babacan and military officials later Sunday to discuss Turkish support to a U.S.-led war. Gul was to fly to Brussels on Monday to attend an emergency EU summit on Iraq. Abdulatif Sener, one of two deputy prime ministers, told reporters after the meeting that the government had not decided when to hold a vote on the stationing of troops. ``In our meeting, no decision was taken concerning sending a motion to parliament,'' Sener said at the end of the 3 hour meeting. ``The United States has certain expectations of a number of countries and of Turkey. But ... no date has been set yet concerning a motion.'' Sener also denied that the lack of a decision on the voting was linked to a failure between the allies to reach an agreement on the aid package. Asked whether permission for the U.S. troops could still come before Tuesday, Yakis said: ``That would be very difficult.'' Earlier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of Gul's party, and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, who stopped in Istanbul on his way home from Italy. Turks are overwhelmingly against a war and Turkish leaders repeatedly have sought to delay moves to support any U.S.-led Iraq operation. Turkish leaders have said they support a second U.N. resolution if force is to be used. Also Sunday, about 500 U.S. military personnel arrived in Turkey to carry out renovation work on Turkish air bases and ports for use in a possible war, Turkish officials said. Parliament okayed the renovation earlier this month, with the expectation of allowing U.S. troops to use the facilities after a second vote. About 30 other U.S. personnel carried out inspections at the Mediterranean ports of Iskenderun and Mersin, the Anatolia news agency reported. Some 3,500 U.S. personnel are expected in Turkey to renovate the bases and ports. U.S. officials have said Washington is prepared to spend hundreds of million dollars for renovations. Turkey also had asked NATO for protection against a potential retaliatory Iraqi attack across their frontier. NATO so far has turned down the request, but Germany and the Netherlands agreed to send Patriot missiles to Turkey despite NATO's decision. A U.S. delegation led by Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, was to visit Turkey on Feb. 20, Anatolia reported. The U.S. embassy confirmed that the delegation was due in Turkey this week.
msfe/wild, Will you please stop copy & pasting your anti-American [expletive]? THIS IS AN AMERICAN BOARD, [expletive]! We see right through your [expletive]! No one bothers to read it anyways.. FRuiTY P.
Optional said to Candle-idit : "I would never want a leader to react to mob mentality, would you? Last time that happened in Europe it caused World War II and, as someone else said, "When the german flag, on top of a german tank, rolled into Paris , at last france had the irrefutable proof they were looking for. Here in Australia the RSL (Returned Soldiers League) have two mottos. One is " is : "Lest we forget" and the second one can be found by clicking onto http://www.rsl.org.au/motto.gif freealways
FRuiTY PeBBLe/OPTIONAL777:`msfe/wild, Will you please stop copy & pasting your anti-American [expletive]? THIS IS AN AMERICAN BOARD, [expletive]! We see right through your [expletive]! No one bothers to read it anyways..´ FRuiTY PeBBLe/OPTIONAL777 Will you please continue copy & pasting your anti-non-American [expletive]? THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL BOARD, [expletive]! I see right through your [expletive]! The whole world bothers to read it anyways..