Turkey has granted the US military permission to use its airspace, a measure that would make it easier for US heavy bombers based in Europe to strike Iraq and US transport and supply aircraft to move troops and war material to the region.
But the step by parliament falls far short of Washington's original request to send 62,000 soldiers to Turkey to open up a northern front against Iraq that would divide the Iraqi army.
The 332-202 vote Thursday also allows Turkish troops to enter northern Iraq, a move US officials have been trying to discourage, fearing that any unilateral entry could lead to friendly fire incidents or clashes with Iraqi Kurds.
PHOTO: REUTERS
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher welcomed the vote granting airspace rights, but said the US remained "opposed to unilateral action by Turkey or by any party in northern Iraq."
The resolution passed in parliament would allow US warplanes or transport aircraft to fly across Turkey. That would also make it easier for strike aircraft on carriers in the Mediterranean to fly more directly into Iraq.
The measure, however, will not allow US warplanes to use Turkish air bases or refuel in Turkey. The US, for example, will not be able to use the 50 warplanes it has at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. Those aircraft were used to patrol a no-fly zone over Iraq.
"May it be good for our country and our people," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the vote. "The results are what we expected."
But when asked when airspace would be opened, Erdogan said: "We will inform you about this later."
US flights can only start after details of the overflights are worked out. An agreement had not been reached by late Thursday, an official said.
The vote follows intense US pressure on Turkey to at least open its airspace.
Polls show Turks overwhelmingly oppose a war, but political leaders feared seriously harming relations with the US if they did not allow overflight rights.
``There is no reason to cancel all our relations with the United States, so the minimum we could do is open the airspace,'' said Emin Sirin, a lawmaker from the governing Justice and Development Party.
The US for months had been pushing Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, to allow in 62,000 soldiers to open the northern front. But a resolution that would have let in the troops failed by just four votes earlier this month and Justice party members were apparently afraid that if the motion were reintroduced, it could fail again.
Some 90 legislators from the party rebuffed party leaders and voted against the troop motion and Sirin said there was fear that a second vote could lead to a split within the ruling party.
Just before Thursday's vote, Erdogan addressed his party, which has an overwhelming majority in parliament, and urged them to vote in favor of the airspace resolution.
"It is important that our party's unity is not disrupted," the Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as telling legislators.
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