Turkey Gives Airspace Use OK

Turkey granted the U.S. military permission to use its airspace Thursday, a measure that would make it easier for U.S. heavy bombers based in Europe to strike Iraq and for U.S. transport and supply aircraft to move troops and war materiel to the region.

But the step by parliament fell 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.

The 332-202 vote also allows Turkish troops to enter northern Iraq, a move that U.S. officials have been trying to discourage, fearing that any unilateral entry could lead to friendly-fire incidents or clashes with Iraqi Kurds.

The resolution passed in parliament would allow U.S. warplanes or transport aircraft to fly across Turkey. That would also make it easier for strike aircraft on carriers in the Mediterranean to fly more directly into Iraq.

The measure, however, will not allow U.S. warplanes to use Turkish air bases or refuel in Turkey. The United States, for example, will not be able to use the 50 warplanes it has at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. Those aircraft were used to patrol a no-fly zone over Iraq.

"May it be good for our country and our people," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the vote. "The results are what we expected."

But when asked when airspace would be opened, Erdogan said: "We will inform you about this later."

U.S. flights can only start after details of the overflights are worked out.

The vote follows intense U.S. pressure on Turkey to at least open its airspace.

There was no comment on the vote at the Pentagon. A spokeswoman said only that Turkey would speak for itself.

Polls show Turks overwhelmingly oppose a war, but political leaders feared seriously harming relations with the United States if they did not allow overflight rights. Turkish citizens took to the streets in Ankara in protest of the war and the move by the parliament to help the United States with air space.

"There is no reason to cancel all our relations with the United States, so the minimum we could do is open the airspace," said Emin Sirin, a lawmaker from the governing Justice and Development Party.

The United States for months had been pushing Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, to allow in 62,000 soldiers to open the northern front. But a resolution that would have let in the troops failed by just four votes earlier this month and Justice party members were apparently afraid that if the motion were reintroduced, it could fail again.

Some 90 legislators from the party rebuffed party leaders and voted against the troop motion, and Sirin said there was fear that a second vote could lead to a split within the ruling party.

Just before Thursday's vote, Erdogan addressed his party, which has an overwhelming majority in parliament, and urged them to vote in favor of the airspace resolution.

"It is important that our party's unity is not disrupted," the Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as telling legislators.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer spoke out Thursday against the U.S. strikes against Iraq.

"I don't find the United States' unilateral behavior right before the U.N. process is completed," Sezer said.

Sezer, whose position is largely ceremonial, has long said that any military action should have U.N. approval. He does not, however, have the power to veto the airspace resolution.

The United States had offered Turkey a package of US$15 billion in loans and grants if it let in U.S. troops for a ground war. But the United States withdrew the aid package as war drew closer and it became clear that even if Turkey voted in favor, the U.S. army would not have time to bring in the army units.