10,000 Turkish Troops May Go To Iraq--under Turkish Command

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Broken out from current World Media Watch...

GUL: TURKISH TROOPS UNDER TURKISH COMMAND

http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/for.htm#f3


Turkish Daily News...Aug 23
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, reflecting the approach of the AKP government on the issue, told the Milliyet newspaper that Turkey could send peacekeepers to Iraq, but stressed that the soldiers would go to help rebuild the neighboring country and "definitely will not be occupiers."



Gul said Turkey was considering sending troops to areas north and west of Baghdad. News reports have said the troops would number around 10,000.



"There will be a separate sector under Turkish command and a separate chain of command," Gul said.



Gul emphasized that there was still no decision on sending troops and Parliament would have to approve any deployment. That approval is not guaranteed. Turkish legislators in March, citing public pressure, rejected a request from Washington to host U.S. troops in the country for the war, straining ties between the NATO allies.



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