Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted for the first time that his country would abandon plans to dispatch troops to Iraq if they are not welcomed there.
His comments also followed media reports that Washington was hesitating on whether to insist on a Turkish military involvement after the strong objection in Baghdad.
"If we are wanted we will go, if we are not wanted we will not. We have not made a 'must' decision," Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as saying.
"Iraq is our neighbor and will continue to be so in the future. We will not undertake anything that may lead to problems. The demands of the Iraqi people are very important for us," Erdogan said.
Before making its final decision Turkey will wait to see developments following the adoption Thursday of a UN Security Council resolution which authorizes the establishment of an international security force in Iraq, the Turkish leader said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
