DATE=2/12/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245465
TITLE=TURKEY/IRAQ (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, TARIQ AZIZ, IS SCHEDULED TO
ARRIVE IN TURKEY MONDAY, FOLLOWING AN INVITATION FROM TURKISH 
PRIME MINISTER BULENT ECEVIT.  AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM 
ANKARA, MR. ECEVIT SAYS THE IRAQI OFFICIAL'S VISIT SHOULD  NOT  
BE VIEWED AS UNDERMINING U-S POLICY IN THE REGION.

TEXT:  MR. AZIZ'S VISIT, ANNOUNCED ONLY ON THURSDAY, COMES AS AN 
UNWELCOME SURPRISE FOR THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION AS IT STEPS UP 
EFFORTS TO WEAKEN THE REGIME OF IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN.

A U-S GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN COMMENTING ON THE VISIT SAID ON FRIDAY
THE UNITED STATES COULD  NOT  IN HIS WORDS, UNDERSTAND TURKEY'S 
DECISION TO HOST MR. AZIZ AT THIS TIME.

MR. AZIZ HAS ALREADY SAID HE WILL ASK THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO 
STOP ALLOWING U-S AND BRITISH WAR PLANES TO ATTACK IRAQI TARGETS 
FROM A NATO BASE IN SOUTHERN TURKEY.

IN RECENT WEEKS, THE ALLIED JETS WHICH MONITOR THE SO-CALLED 
"NO-FLY ZONE" OVER NORTHERN IRAQ HAVE CARRIED OUT FREQUENT 
ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQI TARGETS AFTER BEING ELECTRONICALLY TRACKED 
BY IRAQI RADAR.

THE SCALE OF THE ALLIED RESPONSE, WHICH IRAQI OFFICIALS SAY HAS 
RESULTED IN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, PROMPTED THE TURKISH LEADER 
[BULENT ECEVIT] TO SAY U-S ATTACKS HAD, AS HE PUT IT, "GONE TOO 
FAR."

BUT TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ISMAIL CEM REPEATED ASSURANCES 
FRIDAY THAT THE TURKISH-BASED ALLIED PLANES WOULD BE PERMITTED TO
CONTINUE WITH THEIR MISSION, WHICH IS TO PROTECT THE IRAQI KURDS 
LIVING IN NORTHERN IRAQ FROM POSSIBLE ATTACK BY SADDAM HUSSEIN.

MR. CEM ALSO STRESSED THAT IRAQ MUST COMPLY WITH UNITED NATIONS 
RESOLUTIONS BEFORE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THAT COUNTRY CAN BE 
LIFTED.

// OPT //  BUT JUST AS MR. CEM WAS RENEWING SUCH ASSURANCES, 
IRAQ'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA -- A FORMER IRAQI INTELLIGENCE 
OFFICIAL -- WAS PRESENTING HIS CREDENTIALS TO TURKISH PRESIDENT 
SULEYMAN DEMIREL.  AMBASSADOR FAROUK HEJAZI IS WIDELY BELIEVED TO
HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE SAUDI ARABIAN 
MILLIONAIRE WHO MAY HAVE HELPED ORGANIZE LAST YEAR'S FATAL BOMB 
ATTACKS ON AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA.

TURKISH OFFICIALS PRIVATELY ADMIT THAT ACCEPTING MR. HEJAZI'S 
NOMINATION AS AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA WAS A MISTAKE, AND SAY THEY 
DID  NOT  KNOW OF HIS BACKGROUND UNTIL -- AS ONE TURKISH OFFICIAL
SAYS -- "IT WAS TOO LATE."  // END OPT //

MOST ANALYSTS AGREE THAT THE VISIT BY TARIQ AZIZ TO ANKARA DOES 
NOT SIGNAL A CHANGE IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY.  THEY POINT OUT 
THAT ANKARA CAN ILL AFFORD TO ANTAGONIZE THE UNITED STATES, WHICH
REMAINS TURKEY'S STAUNCHEST AND MOST CRUCIAL ALLY.  RATHER, THEY 
THINK MR. ECEVIT'S ATTEMPTS TO KEEP UP A DIALOGUE WITH BAGHDAD 
REFLECT TURKISH CONCERNS OVER THE IMPACT OF U-S POLICY ON IRAQ'S 
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. 

THERE ARE WIDESPREAD FEARS AMONG MANY TURKS THAT PROLONGED 
KURDISH SELF-RULE IN NORTHERN IRAQ WILL RESULT IN THE 
ESTABLISHMENT THERE OF AN INDEPENDENT KURDISH STATE, WHICH WOULD 
ENCOURAGE SIMILAR ASPIRATIONS AMONG TURKEY'S OWN KURDISH 
POPULATION.   (SIGNED) 

NEB/AZ/PCF/WTW

12-Feb-99 2:08 PM EST (1908 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.