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CNN Live Saturday
Turkey's Role in War With Iraq Still Undecided
Aired March 01, 2003 - 17:20 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey's role in any possible war with Iraq is still undecided. The Turkish parliament tried to vote on a measure to allow U.S. troops to use bases there today, but didn't have enough votes for a clear majority. CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Ankara with more on the debate -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Renay. As it stands now, the parliament has rejected the motion by the government to allow U.S. troops to pass through Turkey on their way to northern Iraq should conflict arise. Several cabinet members were meeting, among them the foreign minister tonight. And that meeting has concluded, we are being told. We are also being told that they have not discarded the possibility of putting forth a second motion before parliament.
We do know the prime minister, Abdullah Gul, will be meeting tomorrow, Sunday, with members of his party to discuss the strategy. We also know that there is a parliamentary session scheduled for Tuesday, but at this time there is no official word on whether the topic of U.S. troops being allowed to pass through here will be on the agenda. The opposition has insisted -- the opposition members of parliament said after today's session that as far as they're concerned, the matter is closed, and they want to get back to the business of routine government affairs. So that's where things stand now.
I can tell you also this morning there was a few hundred demonstrators who took to the streets of Ankara to express their happiness with what came out of parliament today. As you know, public opinion here is overwhelmingly against allowing U.S. troops to pass through here, should conflict erupt with Iraq -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: This issue has already split NATO wide open. Any thoughts from the prime minister about what this may do to Turkey's role in the alliance?
WHITBECK: The Turkish government is in a critical situation right now. Obviously, a lot of pressure on him, not only from public opinion here, also from the United States. A lot of questions as to what the parliamentary rejection of this motion by the prime minister's office might mean for Turkey. Turkey was slated to receive several billion dollars in U.S. aid and loans, and if Turkey had agreed to participate in that, the eventual conflict with Iraq, it would have had a say in what the post-Saddam Hussein regime might mean and what that might mean for Turkey.
So that, of course, now is very much in doubt. It really depends on what might happen, on whether a second motion is presented and whether it's passed.
SAN MIGUEL: CNN's Harris Whitbeck in Ankara, thank you for the report.
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 March 1, 2003 - 17:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey's role in any possible war with Iraq is still undecided. The Turkish parliament tried to vote on a measure to allow U.S. troops to use bases there today, but didn't have enough votes for a clear majority. CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Ankara with more on the debate -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Renay. As it stands now, the parliament has rejected the motion by the government to allow U.S. troops to pass through Turkey on their way to northern Iraq should conflict arise. Several cabinet members were meeting, among them the foreign minister tonight. And that meeting has concluded, we are being told. We are also being told that they have not discarded the possibility of putting forth a second motion before parliament.
We do know the prime minister, Abdullah Gul, will be meeting tomorrow, Sunday, with members of his party to discuss the strategy. We also know that there is a parliamentary session scheduled for Tuesday, but at this time there is no official word on whether the topic of U.S. troops being allowed to pass through here will be on the agenda. The opposition has insisted -- the opposition members of parliament said after today's session that as far as they're concerned, the matter is closed, and they want to get back to the business of routine government affairs. So that's where things stand now.
I can tell you also this morning there was a few hundred demonstrators who took to the streets of Ankara to express their happiness with what came out of parliament today. As you know, public opinion here is overwhelmingly against allowing U.S. troops to pass through here, should conflict erupt with Iraq -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: This issue has already split NATO wide open. Any thoughts from the prime minister about what this may do to Turkey's role in the alliance?
WHITBECK: The Turkish government is in a critical situation right now. Obviously, a lot of pressure on him, not only from public opinion here, also from the United States. A lot of questions as to what the parliamentary rejection of this motion by the prime minister's office might mean for Turkey. Turkey was slated to receive several billion dollars in U.S. aid and loans, and if Turkey had agreed to participate in that, the eventual conflict with Iraq, it would have had a say in what the post-Saddam Hussein regime might mean and what that might mean for Turkey.
So that, of course, now is very much in doubt. It really depends on what might happen, on whether a second motion is presented and whether it's passed.
SAN MIGUEL: CNN's Harris Whitbeck in Ankara, thank you for the report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
