U.S.-Turkish Relations Strained

[Barrett808]

U.S.-Turkish Relations Strained
Reuters, 2004/09/13

The United States reassured Turkey over a military operation in northern Iraq which has reportedly claimed the lives of ethnic Turkmen civilians, but Ankara appeared unimpressed.

U.S. troops mounted a major offensive last week in the town of Tal Afar, a suspected haven for foreign fighters near the Syrian border.

...

"We are carrying out a limited military operation and we are trying to keep civilian losses to a minimum," U.S. ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman said in comments broadcast by NTV television which were dubbed into Turkish.

"We cannot completely eliminate the possibility (of civilian casualties)... We believe the operation is being conducted with great care," he said after briefing Turkish officials.

Last Friday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry urged the United States to halt its offensive. The Turkish military also said it was monitoring the situation closely in Tal Afar.

...

"There should not be any civilian casualties. Even a few casualties is unacceptable," a Turkish official told reporters.


(more)

http://english.daralhayat.com/arab_news/09-2004/Article-20040913-f83394b4-c0a8-01ed-0003-e35b59e001c4/story.html

[Tempest]

1. Another article on Tal Afar

Crowds Plead With U.S. Forces in Tal Afar
Crowds Plead With U.S. Forces to Let Them Return to Their Homes in Besieged City of Tal Afar

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040913_905.html

U.S. troops barred anguished crowds from returning to their homes in the besieged city of Tal Afar on Monday as residents described corpses scattered across orchards and the collapse of essential services such as water and electricity.

American troops and Iraqi forces on Sunday overran Tal Afar, one of several Iraqi cities they say had fallen into the hands of insurgents, after a nearly two-week siege that forced scores of residents to flee and left a trail of devastated buildings and rubble.

<snip>

Saleh, speaking by telephone from his party's headquarters in Tal Afar, said the city was quiet Monday but that health, water and electricity services had ceased to function.

"There are still bodies lying in the battlefields, orchards" and dry river beds, said Saleh, adding that the dead included militants and civilians.

"Who would take them away?" he added, "There's no hospital or government offices working."

[Flagg]

2. U.S.-World (exept Israel) Relations Strained

[daleo]

3. It figured that Bush would eventually strain relations with Turkey

You just can't play in the sandbox he wants to play in for long without Turkey getting involved at some level. I am surprised it has taken this long.