Turkish air space finally open

US-Turkish talks were held up over conditions for flyovers as Turks insist on deploying troops in Iraq

Turkish army mobile heavy artillery in a camp near the Iraqi border yesterday. Turkey wants to move its troops into Iraq, a move viewed with suspicion by the USA and Iraqi Kurds.

By James C. Helicke - The Associated Press

ANKARA - Turkey agreed yesterday to allow US overflights for a war with Iraq, the defense minister said.

Two air corridors will be opened for the US aircraft — one for heavy bombers along the Black Sea Coast and another for US and British strike fighters along the southern border, a Turkish military official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

The US flights will begin immediately, private CNN-Turk television reported.

“It has been established that the opening of Turkish air space is in line with Turkish interests,” Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called US Secretary of State Colin Powell to inform him of the decision, Gonul said.

Turkey earlier delayed opening its air space to US warplanes despite parliamentary approval for the overflights, insisting the US agree to its demands to move troops into northern Iraq.

But Powell rejected the Turkish request saying, “We don’t see any need for any Turkish incursions into northern Iraq.”

Gonul said the issue would be “settled through mutual negotiations.”

Turkey’s Parliament voted Thursday to allow the US to use the air space, a measure that would allow strike aircraft on carriers in the Mediterranean to fly more directly into Iraq. The US could also use Turkish air space to ferry troops into northern Iraq.

After Parliament’s approval, the US still needed the Turkish government’s go-ahead.

The resolution passed by Parliament would also allow Turkey to move its own forces into northern Iraq.

The US opposes any unilateral move by Turkey into northern Iraq. Washington has warned that a Turkish incursion could lead to friendly fire incidents with US forces. Iraqi-Kurdish groups say the move could lead to clashes.

Negotiations had also been locked over Turkish demands that the US military provide information on the type of planes, their mission, and their destination ahead of the overflights, another Turkish military official said earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity. The US wanted to be able to use the air space without prior notification and it was not clear how that issue was resolved.

The Turkish military official said Turkey was concerned that if it opened its air space, the US would begin flying troops across Turkey into the Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Iraq.

Turkey fears instability in that border region and is looking to move its own troops into the area.

The US also wanted to use refueling aircraft based at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, but Turkey had balked at their use, saying it was not part of the air space agreement. It was also not clear how that issue was resolved.

US warplanes based in Incirlik have been used to patrol a no-fly zone over northern Iraq and the refuelers were used as part of that mission.

Thursday’s vote granting overflight rights follows intense lobbying by the US, but falls far short of Washington’s original request to send 62,000 soldiers to Turkey to open up a northern front against Iraq that would divide the Iraqi army.