Turkey delays vote on troop deployment

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey's governing party, facing strong public opposition to a war in Iraq, delayed a vote Thursday to allow in more than 60,000 U.S. soldiers.

Justice and Development Party leaders had called for a Thursday vote, but instead called for a meeting of parliament on Saturday.

Secretary of State Colin Powell last week warned Turkish officials that time was running out and called Turkish Premier Abdullah Gul Tuesday night urging action.

Hundreds of U.S. jeeps and trucks already line a dock area in the southern Turkish port of Iskenderun, waiting for a Turkish decision.

U.S. war planners say that a northern front from Turkey is crucial for plans to split the Iraqi army between the north and south and say that Turkish foot-dragging could delay war plans.

"We cannot reach a decision quickly just because of a phone call," party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said when asked about Powell's urging.

"Turkey's main concern is to come out of it all with the least possible damage," he added.

War unpopular

War in Iraq is unpopular among Turks who fear that a war will harm the economy and lead to instability on the border.

But rebuffing the United States could alienate Turkey from a key ally, which was crucial to the country's securing loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Parliament is widely expected to eventually pass the troop deployment bill, with several dozen lawmakers from the Justice Party opposing the move. The party has an overwhelming majority, with 362 seats in the 550-member legislature.

Party legislators met Thursday, but only half of the 70 who asked to speak were able to address the delegates, said deputy chairman Reha Denemec.

Legislators also said they wanted to wait for today's meeting of the country's National Security Council -- a move some said could be part of a strategy of delaying the war.

The opposition Republican People's Party has already said it will vote against any basing of troops in Turkey. Some in the Justice Party expressed their opposition also.

"I do not approve of the U.S. stance, I do not approve of the bargaining process, therefore I will vote against (the motion)," said Justice Party lawmaker Emin Sirin. "The United States does not understand our conditions. I cannot consider the United States to be as a strategic ally."

Meanwhile, Turkish and U.S. officials said they were close to an agreement on the conditions of the deployment. Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said Thursday that the sides had agreed on the military conditions.

Diplomats have been negotiating a multibillion dollar economic aid package aimed at compensating Turkey for any losses incurred during a war.

The two sides are also discussing Turkey's fears that a war could lead to the fragmentation of Iraq, which could lead Iraqi Kurds to declare their own state and inspire Turkey's own Kurdish minority.

Private NTV television said the United States and Turkey had agreed that U.S. officers would arm and disarm Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq under the supervision of Turkish officers.

Turkey is looking to send tens of thousands of its own troops into northern Iraq during a war, a move staunchly opposed by Iraqi Kurdish groups.