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Turkish Daily News
March 25 2005
Decision on expanded US access to İncirlik soon
Friday, March 25, 2005
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
The government is close to making its decision on a Washington
proposal to use the southern air base of İncirlik as a cargo hub for
U.S. forces operating in the region, said a deputy from the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP).
"A decision on the issue will be made very soon. I cannot tell you
when exactly since I am not in the government but it will be very
soon," Murat Mercan, AKP's deputy chairman told a meeting in
Washington, called, "Can the U.S.-Turkish Relationship be Repaired?"
Other attendees of the event, hosted by the American Enterprise
Institute, were influential "neo-con" intellectuals: Former Deputy
Secretary of Defense Richard Perle, Robert Pollock, who wrote the
Wall Street Journal op-ed painting Turkey as rapidly turning into a
hotbed of vicious anti-American attitudes, and Michael Rubin, who
recently questioned AKP's links to Islamic capital.
The proposal to use İncirlik, located in the southern city of
Adana, as a cargo hub for U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has
been on the table for several months. U.S. Undersecretary of Defense
for Policy Douglas Feith said during a visit to Ankara in February
that Washington was discussing the issue with Turkey with a view to
finding an agreement.
Repairing relationship:
Turkish officials have avoided commenting on the U.S. proposal
publicly but the government, eager to mend strained ties with
Washington, is widely expected to respond favorably.
Private NTV television said the government might officially reply
to Washington over the İncirlik proposal in the coming weeks, before
the 90th anniversary of an alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of
the late Ottoman Empire arrives on April 24.
A powerful Armenian lobby in the U.S. Congress is expected to push
for a resolution recognizing the alleged genocide as part of an
anniversary campaign. U.S. administrations have opposed such attempts
in Congress in the past but observers say this year the George W.
Bush administration may not be as willing to prevent such a move as
it was in the past, given the growing mistrust of the Turkish
government.
A positive response to the U.S. proposal for İncirlik would be part
of a charm campaign that the Turkish government is apparently
planning to undertake to put ties with the United States back on
track, deteriorating over Turkish criticism of U.S. policies in Iraq
and U.S. concerns over rising anti-Americanism in Turkey.
Erdoğan is planning to visit the United States in late May to
attend the graduation ceremony of his daughter and is hoping to meet
with President George W. Bush during his stay. The prime minister is
also expected to visit Israel.
Mercan said in his American Enterprise Institute speech that
Turkish-U.S. ties were not as bad as depicted in both countries
media, as both sides had the will to improve the relationship.
"We should focus on the big picture," he said and warned against
paying too much attention to radical and extremist comments seen in
the media comments of both countries.
--Boundary_(ID_gusgSY9HaJGocqH10JATmA)--
March 25 2005
Decision on expanded US access to İncirlik soon
Friday, March 25, 2005
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
The government is close to making its decision on a Washington
proposal to use the southern air base of İncirlik as a cargo hub for
U.S. forces operating in the region, said a deputy from the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP).
"A decision on the issue will be made very soon. I cannot tell you
when exactly since I am not in the government but it will be very
soon," Murat Mercan, AKP's deputy chairman told a meeting in
Washington, called, "Can the U.S.-Turkish Relationship be Repaired?"
Other attendees of the event, hosted by the American Enterprise
Institute, were influential "neo-con" intellectuals: Former Deputy
Secretary of Defense Richard Perle, Robert Pollock, who wrote the
Wall Street Journal op-ed painting Turkey as rapidly turning into a
hotbed of vicious anti-American attitudes, and Michael Rubin, who
recently questioned AKP's links to Islamic capital.
The proposal to use İncirlik, located in the southern city of
Adana, as a cargo hub for U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has
been on the table for several months. U.S. Undersecretary of Defense
for Policy Douglas Feith said during a visit to Ankara in February
that Washington was discussing the issue with Turkey with a view to
finding an agreement.
Repairing relationship:
Turkish officials have avoided commenting on the U.S. proposal
publicly but the government, eager to mend strained ties with
Washington, is widely expected to respond favorably.
Private NTV television said the government might officially reply
to Washington over the İncirlik proposal in the coming weeks, before
the 90th anniversary of an alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of
the late Ottoman Empire arrives on April 24.
A powerful Armenian lobby in the U.S. Congress is expected to push
for a resolution recognizing the alleged genocide as part of an
anniversary campaign. U.S. administrations have opposed such attempts
in Congress in the past but observers say this year the George W.
Bush administration may not be as willing to prevent such a move as
it was in the past, given the growing mistrust of the Turkish
government.
A positive response to the U.S. proposal for İncirlik would be part
of a charm campaign that the Turkish government is apparently
planning to undertake to put ties with the United States back on
track, deteriorating over Turkish criticism of U.S. policies in Iraq
and U.S. concerns over rising anti-Americanism in Turkey.
Erdoğan is planning to visit the United States in late May to
attend the graduation ceremony of his daughter and is hoping to meet
with President George W. Bush during his stay. The prime minister is
also expected to visit Israel.
Mercan said in his American Enterprise Institute speech that
Turkish-U.S. ties were not as bad as depicted in both countries
media, as both sides had the will to improve the relationship.
"We should focus on the big picture," he said and warned against
paying too much attention to radical and extremist comments seen in
the media comments of both countries.
--Boundary_(ID_gusgSY9HaJGocqH10JATmA)--