Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Win Lose or Draw : Be A Steve, Make A Call -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lifeisgood who wrote (5714)	3/10/2003 2:07:55 PM
From: Win-Lose-Draw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 11447

thanks! eom.

To: lifeisgood who wrote (5714)	3/10/2003 2:33:12 PM
From: LTK007	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 11447

Ankara Nears U.S. Troop Vote After Weekend Election Results By GUY CHAZAN Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey inched closer to a fresh vote on allowing some 60,000 U.S. troops into its territory for a possible war against Iraq when one of the deployment's strongest supporters won a crucial weekend by-election that paves his way to power. The victory of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party and one of the architects of the troop agreement, allows him to assume the post of prime minister, succeeding incumbent Abdullah Gul, a close associate. But Mr. Erdogan is only expected to ask parliament to vote again on allowing a deployment after he has formed a new government, a process that may take several days. Some commentators say he might even delay the move until after a second U.N. Security Council resolution, in a bid to assuage a Turkish public fiercely opposed to war. Pentagon officials say it likely will be seven to 10 days before the Turkish parliament again takes up the U.S. request. Even so, U.S. military planners say they haven't abandoned the plan to put a sizable force into northern Iraq via Turkey. Signs of growing military cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey are apparent. U.S. cargo ships have been offloading military vehicles and equipment in the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun and moving it by road to the southeastern town of Mardin. Several hundred U.S. soldiers have been setting up a command post in the area, about 100 miles from the Iraqi border, that could be used to help funnel troops and equipment into northern Iraq. Meanwhile, equipment for the Fourth Infantry Division is still waiting on transport ships off the Mediterranean coast. "We are absolutely not giving up on the Turkish option," said one senior Army official. It is possible, if not likely, that the U.S. could launch an attack on Iraq before troops are in position in Turkey. Though U.S. defense officials say they are determined to have some troops in northern Iraq before offensive operations begin to protect the Kurds and to secure key oil fields around Kirkuk and Mosul. One option that the Pentagon is exploring is airlifting equipment sitting at ports in Turkey directly into northern Iraq. Some defense officials are hopeful that such an airlift might be allowed to go forward even without the approval of the Turkish parliament. Some Turkish politicians have criticized the equipment movements, saying they are in defiance of the will of parliament. Turkish military officials insist the moves are part of an agreement reached last month allowing the U.S. to modernize Turkish bases. American war plans were dealt a blow nine days ago when Turkish lawmakers narrowly defeated a motion allowing U.S. troops to move through Turkey and open a second front against Iraq. In doing so, they forfeited a $30 billion aid package Washington had offered Ankara to cushion the impact of war on the Turkish economy. Mr. Erdogan's victory Sunday changes the landscape. Though his Islamic-tinged party came to power in elections last November, Mr. Erdogan himself, a former mayor of Istanbul, was barred from running for office due to a conviction for inciting religious hatred. (Justice lawmakers changed the constitution after the November vote to allow Mr. Erdogan to run for office.) He has largely been running the show from behind the scenes, but Sunday's win now allows him to enter parliament and become prime minister. The election comes amid a growing consensus in the Ankara political establishment that cooperating with the U.S. could be in Turkey's best interests -- a point made by the Turkish army chief when he threw his weight behind the U.S. troop-deployment plan last week. But Mr. Erdogan may wish to insure himself against a potentially disastrous second no-vote by waiting for a second U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing force against Iraq. That might swing many doubters in the Justice party behind the government's line. "If in two weeks' time, it's clear that Saddam Hussein is still clearly dragging his feet, then I might vote yes," said Emin Sirin, deputy head of parliament's foreign affairs committee, who was one of nearly 100 Justice lawmakers who rebeled against the government March 1. A key issue in that vote, Turkish officials say, was that Washington failed to adequately address concerns that any postwar settlement in Iraq shouldn't spawn an independent Kurdish state, which Turkey fears could encourage separatist aspirations among its own Kurds. But there are signs that the two sides may be moving closer together on the Kurdish issue. The U.S. has shown strong concern over Turkey's plans to send thousands of its troops into northern Iraq in the event of war to avert a refugee influx into its territory. Iraqi Kurdish leaders have threatened to strike any Turkish forces that cross the border. Turkish news reports suggest that tension may now be easing. Radikal newspaper said Iraqi Kurds had received assurances from Turkey that its forces would enter Iraq purely for "humanitarian purposes." It said Turkey had also pledged not to intervene against Kurdish forces unless they declared independence, tried to grab the oil-producing city of Kirkuk or attacked Iraq's Turkmen minority, which is ethnically and linguistically close to the Turks. The newspaper also said the U.S. would seek to include Turkmen representatives in a steering committee of Iraqi opposition leaders expected to have a crucial voice in shaping a post-Saddam Iraq. -- Greg Jaffe in Washington contributed to this article. Write to Guy Chazan at guy.chazan@wsj.com