U.S. Military Decides Turkey No Longer Reliable Ally

[Ryan Ruck]

U.S. Military Decides Turkey No Longer Reliable Ally

The U.S. military is quietly preparing to withdraw its forces from Turkey.

Government sources said the military and Defense Department have concluded that Turkey is no longer a reliable military ally. The sources said that by 2008 the United States would have no more than a token military presence in Turkey.

"For two years, the Pentagon waited for a turnaround in Turkey," a source said. "That hasn't happened and the Pentagon will be looking elsewhere for basing and deployment."

The Bush administration was deeply disappointed by Ankara's refusal to host U.S. troops in 2003 as part of plans to form a northern front against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. Last year, despite numerous pledges, Ankara blocked another U.S. effort to expand its military presence and use of Turkish military installations.

As a result, the Pentagon has been changing its deployment in Turkey and ended incentives for U.S. soldiers to be based in that country, which is also a member of NATO. The Pentagon has also terminated Turkey's certification as an area in direct support of the U.S. military operation in Iraq.

On Dec. 31, the Pentagon ended most incentives for U.S. soldiers to be based in Turkey, an area deemed as high risk amid rising anti-American sentiment during the war in Iraq. The Pentagon ended the exemption of U.S. soldiers from federal taxes in an arrangement known as combat zone tax exclusion.

U.S. soldiers in Turkey began receiving this benefit in January 2003 in anticipation of the war in Iraq. But in a review in late 2005, U.S. European Command determined that Turkey no longer fulfilled combat zone requirements.

Officials said the U.S. military will continue to retain a token presence in Turkey, particularly in the air force base at Incirlik. Those serving in Turkey would obtain the imminent danger pay benefit, which amounts to another $225 a month.

The Pentagon envisions a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq, particularly in the autonomous Kurdish zone in the north. The United States has built several military bases and airports in the north, which could serve as a launching pad for reconnaissance or attack missions against neighboring Iran.

[Ryan Ruck]

Hmmm…

Russian Navy commander visits Turkey

MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's chief naval commander has arrived in Turkey to meet with the country's senior navy officials and attend a joint naval exercise, a Russian delegation official said Friday.

Admiral Vladimir Masorin will take part in talks on the Turkish operation Black Sea Harmony, visit a naval base at Golcuk, and inspect a Russian naval group that is currently on a visit to Turkey, the official said.

Black Sea Harmony is a security initiative advanced by Turkey in 2004. The operation is designed to patrol the Bosporus and Dardanelle straits, shadowing suspicious ships, and is similar to NATO's Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean.

Turkey, a NATO member, has invited the countries within the Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (Blackseafor - Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine) to participate in the operation.

Established in 1998, also on Turkey's initiative, Blackseafor conducts search and rescue operations, cleans sea mines, monitors the environment, and organizes goodwill visits among Black Sea countries.

The Russian naval group, consisting of guided missile cruiser Moskva, large amphibious ship Azov and two auxiliary vessels, will participate in a joint exercise for communication and maneuvering at the end of the visit.

The Russian and Turkish navies conducted a similar exercise in the southwestern part of the Black Sea in July last year.

[vector7]

Turkish fighter jets strike northern Iraq


Turkish fighter jets, file photo

Turkish fighter jets have launched airstrikes on targets in northern Iraq, which is seen as the hotbed for Kurdish militants' activity, Turkish military says.

The warplanes bombed Kurdish separatist targets in the Qandil Mountains and the Hakurk region of northern Iraq, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Friday.

"It was observed that targets were successfully hit in the airstrike," the statement said.

The warplanes returned to Turkey safely and no casualties have been reported yet, it said.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants launch their attacks from the Qandil Mountains in the areas under the control of Iraqi Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani. The Qandil Mountains range is also where Israel and Israeli firms operate.

The new airstrike on the PKK hideouts comes as the Kurdish militants have stepped up their attacks, killing over 40 soldiers over past few months.

The Turkish military says around 4,000 militants are based just across the border in Iraq and about 2,500 others operate inside Turkey.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, took up arms in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives.