TURKEY-US: Military base facilities agreement signed

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Att.Editors: The following item is from the Qatar News Agency (QNA)

ANKARA, Feb 10 2003 (IPS) - Turkey has agreed to grant US troops military facilities in preparation of a potential offensive against Iraq, it was announced here today.

According to the agreement signed between the two sides, US technicians would rehabilitate the US bases in Turkey, the US-run Arabic-language ‘Al-Alam al-An’ or ‘World Now’ radio reported.

US experts, who inspected the bases, recommended the reconstruction of runways to be able to receive some 200 warplanes, including F15, F16 and S117. The works would also include the construction of a mobile satellite-linked communications network, besides the building up of depots to accommodate military hardware.

The coordination centre between UA and Turkish warplanes would be set up in Diyarbaker, Turkey.