U.S. Role in Building Iraqi War Machine
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It is ironic that some senators and representatives who just two months ago argued for cutting back U.S. military assistance to Turkey, a NATO ally, are now praising that country for its stance against the recent Iraqi aggression. The Turkish Republic took a brave step by cutting off Iraq’s oil exports through Turkish ports. They have done so knowing well that the Turkish economy would be hard hit by the loss of $3 billion a year in trade with Turkey’s southern neighbor. Turks have angered Iraq’s Hussein before. In 1988 they gave refuge to thousands of Kurdish civilians who poured across the Turkish-Iraqi border, fleeing the Iraqi army’s chemical warfare.
We hope that the recent events in the Middle East will once again bring U.S.-Turkish relations into focus. We hope that those congressmen in Washington who, under the influence of anti-Turkish ethnic lobbies, have been sponsoring legislation that has caused great damage to U.S.-Turkish relations, will come to the realization that the best interests of this country are served by having friendly ties with a militarily and economically strong Turkish Republic.
BULENT BASOL
Member of the Board of Directors
American-Turkish Assn. of So. Calif.
Irvine
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