ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey's military is bracing for a call from the United
States to participate in any ground invasion in Afghanistan.Turkish defense sources said the military is on alert for a call to join
the ground forces of Britain and the United States to enter Afghanistan.
They said Turkish officers have arrived in Washington to discuss the issue
with the Pentagon.Ankara hopes to be briefed on the U.S. needs as well as the prospect
that allied troops in Afghanistan would encounter nonconventional weapons,
such as biological or chemical weapons. The sources said the government of
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has approved the sending of Turkish forces to
Afghanistan. The decision was endorsed by parliament."The operation started by the United States is in the interests of all
humanity," Ecevit said. "Turkey should contribute to the operation as much
as possible."Ankara has allowed Britain and the United States use of Turkey's air
space. Turkey has also shared intelligence with its NATO allies.Officials said one fear is that a ground invasion of Afghanistan would
result in the widening of the war in several neighboring Central Asian
countries. The result would be a flow of refugees into Turkey from
Uzbekistan.
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