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Turkey Poised to Open Seaports and Air Bases to U.S. Forces

HeadlineFeb 27, 2003

Turkey is poised today to open seaports and air bases to tens of thousands of U.S. forces, closing the last major gap in Washington’s planning for an attack on neighboring Iraq. The Turkish Parliament votes on the issue today. As part of the troop deal, The Washington Post is reporting, the United States has promised to prevent Kurds from setting up a federation-style government in post-war Iraq that would ensure their continued autonomy. The U.S. has also agreed to allow Turkish troops to enter northern Iraq. The Washington Post also reports the United States has offered Turkey a package of trade concessions in the textile industry. The proposals would temporarily waive long-standing “buy American” provisions to enable the Pentagon to purchase Turkish-made apparel for U.S. troops. Officials of the U.S. textile industry are reeling from the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the past decade and sharply criticized the deal.

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