On Wednesday, Turkey called for a peaceful settlement to a dispute over international weapons inspections in Iraq as concern mounted that a US military operation against Baghdad was imminent.
"Not all opportunities have been exhausted to peacefully resolve the dispute with Iraq," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Yusuf Buluc told a news conference in Ankara, cited by AFP.
The spokesman called upon Baghdad to abide by United Nations Security Council resolutions and allow the resumption of weapons inspections, reiterating several such calls from Ankara thus far this year. "We believe our initiatives will have an influence on the Iraqi leadership and that our neighbor Iraq will do what is necessary for it to be a respected member of the international community," Buluc conveyed. (Albawaba.com)
