KurdistanObserver.com

U.S. Military Decides Turkey No Longer Reliable Ally

Issue Date: January 16-22, 2006, Posted On: 1/16/2006
insightmag.com

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.