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Turkish parliament rejects U.S. troops proposalMove threatens U.S. plans to open second front in case of war
ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkey's parliament failed to pass a proposal Saturday to allow more than 60,000 U.S. troops to operate from Turkish bases and ports in the event of a war with Iraq. The parliament adjourned after an initial vote showed 264 lawmakers favoring the measure -- three fewer than needed for passage -- 250 opposing and 19 abstaining. After the proposal failed to gain a majority vote, Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul declared it had been "rejected." The 267 votes sought represents half of the 533 ministers who voted, plus one. The parliament is to reconvene Tuesday, but the fate of the contentious measure is uncertain. The proposal has little popular support in Turkey. Hundreds of thousands protested Saturday in downtown Ankara. Public opinion polls show more than 90 percent of Turks oppose a U.S.-led war against Iraq. 'We just don't know what's going to happen'Leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party took an informal poll before Saturday's session and believed the measure would pass. After it failed, a senior party member said, "We just don't know what's going to happen." Gul, who had pushed for approval, said, "We are facing here a serious and important case. The Turkish Republic's future and security is the issue. There is no question mark that this is not an internal political issue." Parliament member Inal Batu, an opponent, said the vote expressed the will of the majority of the Turkish people. "The matter is closed," he said, "and parliament will go back to work on routine matters." The prime minister met with Cabinet members after the vote and said he plans to meet Sunday with party members to discuss the next steps. Before another parliament vote, the government must re-draft and re-submit the proposal. U.S. officials had expressed confidence that Turkey would accept the troop deployment and would be the launching point for a northern front in a war with Iraq. Ships carrying U.S. troops and supplies are stationed off the Turkish port of Iskenderun. The United States has offered $6 billion in economic aid to offset fears that war could be devastating to Turkey's economy, and refusal to participate would limit Turkey's role during a war and in a post-war Iraq. A U.S. Defense Department official said the Pentagon is "monitoring" the developments in the Turkish parliament. "Everything is on hold until Turkey gives the go-ahead," the official said. "The military can adjust as required ... the Defense Department has a plan B." U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson expressed disappointment: "We had certainly hoped for a favorable decision by the parliament, but I want to emphasize our relationship and the importance of the work we have done thus far, and the fact that the United States is still a friend of Turkey and we consider this relationship to be very important." The United States, Pearson said, would "await further information and advice" from the Turkish government on how to proceed. -- From CNN correspondents Jane Arraf and Harris Whitbeck in Ankara. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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