NATO-member Turkey on Saturday said it would open its air space and airports to US transport planes as Washington gears up for an eventual strike in the aftermath of last week's terrorist attacks.
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit gave the permission to US President George W. Bush in a letter dated September 21, Ecevit's office said in a written statement.
"The prime minister has written that the Turkish government will meet a US request for US transport planes to use Turkish air space and Turkish airports if necessary," the statement said.
The statement did not specify whether the planes in question were military aircraft, but Turkish air space has been open to civilian traffic for years and the country is already host to a number of US military planes.
Speaking to reporters late Friday outside his office, Ecevit said that it was natural for the United States to "take fly-over permission from Turkey and use Turkey for refueling."
The announcement constitutes Turkey's first concrete commitment to an international alliance to punish the culprits of the September 11 attacks in which thousands died when hijackers rammed three planes into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The prime suspect of the attacks is Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden who has found refuge on Afghan soil ruled by the hard-line Taliban militia.
The Turkish statement added that it would be beneficial for Turkey and the United States to exchange intelligence and cooperate regarding developments in northern Afghanistan, which is controlled by the Northern Alliance, the opposition to the ruling Taliban.
"Turkey will increase its equipment, training and other aid it has been giving to the Northern Alliance," it said.
Ecevit said Friday that Turkey, which has the second largest army in NATO after the United States, was ready to give military training to the Afghan opposition. It also signaled that Ankara could supply Washington with intelligence on Afghanistan.
"Turkey has had for years extensive intelligence regarding the region, the prime minister said.
Turkey has maintained close relations with key anti-Taliban commander Abdul Rashid Dostam, who had been in control of northern Afghanistan before the Taliban chased him out in 1998.
Asked whether Turkey would give military support to the United States, Ecevit said that there had been no such demand from Washington.
"However, we might contribute to the [military] build-up the US has been carrying out and will carry out in the region. We will discuss the details if necessary," he added.
Turkey on Friday called on the United States to exercise utmost caution in an eventual attack against the Taliban -- ANKARA (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
