Amid reports of an imminent Turkish of invasion of Iraq, Turk General warns: US relations to be "irreversibly damaged"
Prediction - an invasion of northern Iraq by Turkish forces followed by them staying (i.e occupation) will result in the formation of Kurdistan, harming Turkey, and Iraq. Kurdistan will be a strong democratic ally of the USA, and the rest of Iraq will disintegrate slowly.
Turkish General Issues Warning on Bill ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's top general warned that ties with the U.S., already strained by attacks from rebels hiding in Iraq, will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.
Oct 14 10:27 PM US/Eastern
By C. ONUR ANT
Associated Press WriterTurkey, which is a major cargo hub for U.S. and allied military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and warned that there might be a cut in the logistical support to the U.S. over the issue.
Nomatter what provocation the Turks believe this is, the US Congress, and govt in full, as well as the american people respected (while grumbling) the decision of the Turkish parliament in 2003 when they refused to allow the 4th Infantry Division to cross a portion of their nation to get to Iraq. It is INCUMBENT on them as democratic allies, and NATO members to RESPECT equally the decision of the American representative system as well.
"If this resolution passed in the committee passes the House as well, our military ties with the U.S. will never be the same again," Gen. Yasar Buyukanit told the daily Milliyet newspaper.
That is an exceptionally threatening statement, and is to be completely rejected by Congress.
That is no NATO ally.
Despite the general's strong words, it is not clear how far Turkey will go to express its dismay to Washington.
Turkey suspended its military ties with France last year after the French parliament's lower house adopted a bill that that would have made it a crime to deny that the Armenian killings constituted a genocide.
But there is more at stake for NATO's only Muslim member when it comes to its relations with the U.S. The Turkish military, and especially the air force, is heavily dependent on the American defense industry, experts say.
Still, when Washington imposed an arms embargo against Turkey in 1975 due to a dispute over Cyprus, Turkey ended all its logistical support to U.S. troops and sharing of intelligence until the embargo was lifted, said Onur Oymen, the country's former permanent representative to NATO.
See additional updates from Jamestown with reports from Turkey's papers here ... halfway down the column
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