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CNN Live Today
Can Deal be Worked Out with Turkey?
Aired February 20, 2003 - 10:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Five American ships carrying tanks and other vehicles for the fourth infantry division are already near the Turkish port of Ishcandera (ph), and 35 supply ships are on their way to the area. They all may have to be diverted if a deal is not worked out.
For more of what Turkey wants, and well, we've have to wait and see whether the U.S. is delivering it or not, we turn to Jane Arraf, who is standing by the Turkish capitol of Ankara this morning.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, the Turkish parliament is actually meeting, but they're not going to give the U.S. answer it wants in the timeframe it wants. Turkish officials have made clear they have their own deadlines, and they don't exactly coincide with the U.S. deadlines.
Now, Turkey's parliament is expected to recess this evening, Thursday evening, and actually go home for the weekend without discussing the approval for those U.S. troops. Turkey says it's still needs some key details to work out before it can actually go to parliament and be confident that they would approve what, for Turkey, would be a huge and potentially very politically risky deal -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, Jane, give us an idea of the kind of pressure that the Turkish government right now is facing. We understand that locally, the polls show that overwhelmingly the population there is well against any war with Iraq.
ARRAF: You're absolutely, right. It is not just the support on the part of the population, the opposition rather, to a war. It's the opposition in parliament.
Now, we have to remember, that -- as U.S. Officials themselves point out -- this is a democracy here. It's the only democracy bordering Iraq, and it's often very messy.
Now, where it stands now is the government feels that if it went to parliament at this moment, it just would not have the support to have them OK those U.S. troops.
Now, the fact that the troops are essentially here, they're pretty much at a Turkish port, does add some emergency to it, but it doesn't really help them make the decision for the U.S. to be giving these deadlines. In fact, that may backfire a little bit. What they are making clear, is they will make a decision, and likely will make it next week. But certainly not by the latest of several deadlines that they've been given -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, now, Jane, this one may be too tough to answer in a simple matter of a few seconds here, but what strikes me, how is it to go a couple of weeks ago where Turkey was working with the U.S. and NATO, while we have them actually standing at odds on this particular issue?
ARRAF: Sorry, Leon, the snow's affecting the audio here. Can you repeat that?
HARRIS: Listen, Jane, we understand that. We have audio problems between here and Ankara. Thank you very much, Jane Arraf reporting live from Ankara, Turkey.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 20, 2003 - 10:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Five American ships carrying tanks and other vehicles for the fourth infantry division are already near the Turkish port of Ishcandera (ph), and 35 supply ships are on their way to the area. They all may have to be diverted if a deal is not worked out.
For more of what Turkey wants, and well, we've have to wait and see whether the U.S. is delivering it or not, we turn to Jane Arraf, who is standing by the Turkish capitol of Ankara this morning.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, the Turkish parliament is actually meeting, but they're not going to give the U.S. answer it wants in the timeframe it wants. Turkish officials have made clear they have their own deadlines, and they don't exactly coincide with the U.S. deadlines.
Now, Turkey's parliament is expected to recess this evening, Thursday evening, and actually go home for the weekend without discussing the approval for those U.S. troops. Turkey says it's still needs some key details to work out before it can actually go to parliament and be confident that they would approve what, for Turkey, would be a huge and potentially very politically risky deal -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, Jane, give us an idea of the kind of pressure that the Turkish government right now is facing. We understand that locally, the polls show that overwhelmingly the population there is well against any war with Iraq.
ARRAF: You're absolutely, right. It is not just the support on the part of the population, the opposition rather, to a war. It's the opposition in parliament.
Now, we have to remember, that -- as U.S. Officials themselves point out -- this is a democracy here. It's the only democracy bordering Iraq, and it's often very messy.
Now, where it stands now is the government feels that if it went to parliament at this moment, it just would not have the support to have them OK those U.S. troops.
Now, the fact that the troops are essentially here, they're pretty much at a Turkish port, does add some emergency to it, but it doesn't really help them make the decision for the U.S. to be giving these deadlines. In fact, that may backfire a little bit. What they are making clear, is they will make a decision, and likely will make it next week. But certainly not by the latest of several deadlines that they've been given -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, now, Jane, this one may be too tough to answer in a simple matter of a few seconds here, but what strikes me, how is it to go a couple of weeks ago where Turkey was working with the U.S. and NATO, while we have them actually standing at odds on this particular issue?
ARRAF: Sorry, Leon, the snow's affecting the audio here. Can you repeat that?
HARRIS: Listen, Jane, we understand that. We have audio problems between here and Ankara. Thank you very much, Jane Arraf reporting live from Ankara, Turkey.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
