http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/01/sprj.irq.turkey/index.html ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- The U.S. troops vote by Turkey's parliament Saturday has been declared null, and the issue must now face a second vote -- which is expected to be rescheduled. Doubt quickly clouded initial news that the Turkish parliament had approved on Saturday the measure, allowing the United States to deploy some 62,000 troops on Turkish soil in preparation for a possible war with Iraq. Opposition leaders challenged the vote, saying that it was not approved by a majority of the parliament's membership. The vote was 264 in favor, 251 against, and 19 abstaining. With 534 ministers present, a "yes" vote of 268 was needed, according to the opposition. Opposition members were said to have walked out of the session. The proposal has little popular support -- hundreds of thousands of Turks protested on the streets of Ankara, and public opinion polls show that more than 90 percent of the population opposes war. (...)
I would've been really pissed had the Turkish round of the World Rally Championship been disrupted. Now it can finish up tomorrow uninterrupted.
From my point of view I was shocked. I did not expect a no from the parliment. This is actually not as good as Turkish people think it is, for the long run. Now Turkey is alienating itself even more internationally. Turkey is not seen as a European country from the eyes of the most Europeans, we are not liked in the middle east by the other muslim countries and now our relationship with US is at stake. It is kind of strange. One half of me says Turkish parliment did the right thing, the other half says they did not .
If this is final, it will only mean that the war will take longer to win and the Turks will lose their influence in the reconstruction of Iraq. Perhaps this is a good day for the Kurds.
I felt sorry for Turkey. They are one nation in the world where the war mattered to them. Bush forced them into it....
If the results stand... Turkey can probably waive a fond farewell to $30 billion in aid... And say "Hello" to Kurdistan. But, that's democracy in action...
GringoTex, it is so easy being cocky and looking down at Turkey when you live in a rich country thousands of kilomiters away from Iraq. Your life and money will not be at stake if USA start a war with Iraq. It is different for the Turks.
I am quite sure that if a war breaks out Northern Iraq will never be a part of Iraq anymore. There will be a new state called Kurdistan.
> I am quite sure that if a war breaks out Northern > Iraq will never be a part of Iraq anymore. There > will be a new state called Kurdistan. Yes, that is what it was called back when the Ottoman Empire owned that land. No matter how angry we are, I don't think that the US will shoot at Turks that sweep down and take northern Iraq.
You can't get enough of calling Turkey a whore. Wow.And now they reject us when 90% of their populace is against a possible war. I believe you are one of the people applauding countries that reject "US imperialism." We offer them 6 billion, they say no, and yet here you are calling them whores. Total hipocrisy.