The White House admitted today that the Turkish parliament's decision to reject deployment of US troops for a looming war on Iraq was "a surprise" that complicates US military planning.
"The vote was a surprise, the outcome was a surprise, to Turkish officials as well as to American officials," said US spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer, who told reporters that both sides were considering their options.
While "there are other ways to accomplish military objectives and military success," hesaid, Saturday's vote means "it's more complicated. The preferred outcome would have been for a successful vote."
He shrugged at a US Senator's weekend comment that the move will double the amount of time needed to topple President Saddam Hussein, noting that US President George W. Bush has never announced a timeframe for action.
"I don't know how you double something that is a question mark," said Mr Fleischer, who emphasized that Turkey's actions would not place eventual victory in doubt.
"Clearly, if the president decides to authorize force, there are preferable routes but those are not the only routes," he said.
Turkish lawmakers on Saturday voted against a government motion to allow 62,000 US troops to use the country as a springboard for a possible attack against neighboring Iraq.
In the same motion, the government was also asking permission to send Turkish soldiers to northern Iraq to prevent the region's breakaway Kurds from declaring independence and a wave of refugees from moving north and entering Turkey.
Turkey fears that Iraqi Kurds may take advantage of a war to declare an independent state in their enclave, which has been outside Baghdad's control since 1991, setting an example for Kurds in southeastern Turkey.
AFP