"With regard to the exit of the American soldiers, we are positive on that issue," Erdoğan, speaking through an interpreter, was quoted as saying in an interview with CNN International on Saturday.In an exclusive interview with CNN at the Ankara headquarters of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Erdoğan indicated he had not yet received an official request from his American ally for permission to move troops across Turkish soil.
"If weapons and ammunition are going to come out, it has to be clear where they are going to be heading," Erdoğan said. "If we are informed about where this military equipment would be going precisely, then we can make a proper evaluation," he added.
Some 12,000 US troops are due to leave by September, according to the withdrawal schedule recently announced by Obama. All US troops are to leave Iraq by the end of 2011 under an agreement negotiated by President George W. Bush's administration.
Relations with Washington hit a snag when the Turkish Parliament rejected a government motion in 2003 that would have allowed military cooperation with the United States in the Iraq war. The refusal by its NATO ally Turkey forced the US to rely on a single route of attack from Kuwait in the south. At the time, the AK Party commanded a majority of seats in Parliament.
During the Bush administration, fueled by consistent US inaction on Turkish requests for action against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the anti-US image grew in Turkey, with American popularity dropping to single digits in Turkish opinion polls.
Nonetheless, Erdoğan underlined that President Obama has hit the right tone since his election to office.
"Obama’s steps for Guantanamo Bay ... were very positively received in Turkey," Erdoğan told CNN, noting that he also welcomed Obama's recent message to Iran, offering congratulations on the Persian new year.
Drawing a comparison between himself and the new US president, Erdoğan said they shared similar humble roots. Erdoğan's remarks were the latest of a string of warm messages delivered by Ankara to Obama, who is scheduled to pay an official visit to Turkey on April 6-7 at the end of his European tour.
More troops for Afghanistan, but not combat
NATO's role in Afghanistan, where Turkey currently has more than 800 troops, is likely to be high on the agenda of Obama's talks with Turkish officials. Ankara has constantly said the US should put more focus on expanding and improving the Afghan security forces and on pressing Afghan authorities to reconcile with elements of the Islamic insurgency, rather than sending tens of thousands more US troops.
Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, in an interview published yesterday in the Turkish Sabah daily, said Turkey was ready to respond positively to a probable request by Obama for sending more troops to Afghanistan.
"We may increase our military presence in Afghanistan. However, we don't want our troops to go to areas of conflict. We also don't find it appropriate for our military vehicles to be assigned to areas of conflict," Gönül added.
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