ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey's military has ruled out any participation in a
U.S.-led attack on Iraq."Any military operation in Northern Iraq is out of question for the time
being," Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu said.Kivrikoglu's assertion was the strongest expression against the prospect
that Washington would launch a military offensive against Iraq in any second
stage of the U.S.-led war against terrorism. Turkey is a major trading
partner of Iraq.The Turkish chief of staff said Ankara lost billions of dollars as a
result of the 1991 Gulf war. "Turkey, of course,
does not want such an operation," Kivrikoglu said. "Because, such an
operation affects Turkey negatively. Turkey is a neighbor of Iraq. Turkey
has suffered a financial loss of nearly $40 billion in the past due to
similar situation."
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