Sunday, April 30, 2006

DEBKAfile -Turkish FM Abdullah Gul: Ankara will not be drawn into any US or Israel military operations against Iran

"Turkish FM Abdullah Gul: Ankara will not be drawn into any US or Israel military operations against Iran

April 30, 2006, 2:26 PM (GMT+02:00)

The Dubai newspaper Al Bayan (out on April 30) quotes the Turkish leader as disclosing that, during her visit to Ankara last Tuesday, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice requested the use of the Incirlik air base for an American strike against Iranian nuclear installations. She was said to have offered Turkey in return a nuclear reactor for electricity, but was turned down.

DEBKAfile’s military sources add: Washington’s original request was for permission to build a new air base in eastern Turkey between Lake Van and the Iranian border. From there, US bombers could have reached nuclear targets situated in northern Iran where most of its nuclear sites are thought to be concentrated."

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