ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has rushed aircraft,
helicopters and thousands of troops to the Iraqi
border.Turkish defense sources as well as Arab diplomats
said Ankara has beefed up forces along its southern
border with Iraq as part of preparations for any
hostility in the region. The sources said Ankara fears
a U.S. attack on Iraq or a drive by President Saddam
Hussein against the Kurdish autonomous zone in
northern Iraq.Turkey has also begun patrols by fixed-wing
aircraft and helicopters over northern Iraq in an
effort to monitor the region. The Turkish military has
established camps to accommodate thousands of
additional troops who might be needed along the front.The Turkish sources said air force and army units
in the area have been warned to stay at their bases
and be ready for any contingency.Ankara has warned against any U.S. attack on
Baghdad. Turkey has tried to improve diplomatic and
trade relations with the Saddam regime.At the same time, Turkish leaders are bracing for
the prospect that Iraq will be the next target in the
U.S.-led war against terrorism. But the leaders have
warned against any attempt to establish a Kurdish
state in northern Iraq.One Turkish minister, Abdul Halouk Shai, has warned
that a Kurdish state in northern Iraq would spark an
immediate response from Ankara. Southeastern Turkey
has a large Kurdish population.The Turkish sources said Ankara has discussed the
volatile situation in northern Iraq with both Britain
and the United States. On Tuesday, two Turkish soldiers were killed in a
rocket attack in the eastern portion of the country.
The attack was attributed to Kurdish insurgents.
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