- ANKARA - Turkey has bolstered
its border with Iraq to prepare for any U.S.-led effort to topple the
regime
of President Saddam Hussein.
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- The government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has become
increasingly convinced that the United States will attack Baghdad. Turkish
officials said they believe Washington will seek Ankara's support in any
such campaign.
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- Turkish sources said military troops have replaced
gendarmerie
units deployed in the border region with Iraq. The troops are meant to
protect the border and stop any influx of refugees from Iraq, Middle East
Newsline reported.
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- The buildup comes amid plans by U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell to visit Ankara next week. Turkish Defense Minister Sabahattin
Cakmakoglu said he does not rule out reconsidering Ankara's opposition
to any U.S.-led attack on Saddam.
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- "We repeated several times that Turkey doesn't want
an operation in Iraq," ''Cakmakoglu said. "However, new
conditions
might call for new assessments."
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- [On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council voted
to extend sanctions on Iraq for another six months.]
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- Already, the Incirlik air force base in southern Turkey
has become a major center for Britain and the United States. The base
serves
British and U.S. combat jets that patrol northern Iraq and could be the
launching point for any attack on the Saddam regime.
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- Turkey has also ordered surface-to-air batteries to
protect
vital targets around the country. The military has also increased readiness
over the last two months.
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- The Ankara-based Turkish Daily News reported that Iraq
has been alerted to the Turkish military preparations. The newspaper said
the Iraqi army has reinforced deployment in the oil-rich Kirkuk region
as well as in Mosul and Dohuk.
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- Western diplomatic sources said Turkey might seek to
seize Mosul as part of any U.S.-led offensive against Iraq. Turkey has
already joined the war in Afghanistan and officials said Ankara is
considering
sending a force of up to 5,000 soldiers.
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- The Ankara-based Milliyet daily quoted one senior
official
as saying a Turkish brigade, which could be supported by artillery and
tanks, would protect Kabul's airport.
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