Britain seeks army bases in Turkey for invasion

Defence Secretary attempts to build Turkish support for war while weapons inspectors prepare to brief Security Council

Geoff Hoon visited Turkey yesterday to drum up support and advance negotiations with the reluctant Nato ally ahead of possible military action against neighbouring Iraq.

The Defence Secretary's mission is understood to have focused on seeking Turkish government permission for British forces to use the country's bases. The Turkish base at Incirlik already hosts RAF warplanes, but the British Government wants to expand the numbers in preparation for war. British land forces, including paratroopers, would be based in Turkey under contingency plans.

Ankara has, however, been less than receptive about British proposals for deployment on Turkish territory, with members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK) insisting that permission should be denied.

Mr Hoon said Ankara was already providing support at Incirlik. "There is excellent co-operation between our two countries in that respect. It's something that obviously we want to build on," he said.

The build-up to a potential war with Iraq is proving to be a baptism of fire for the fledgling pro-Islamic government. Elected on a strong anti-war platform, it has softened its stance – at least privately – during a series of visits by senior US and British officials aimed at securing use of Turkey's military facilities. Turkish newspapers reported yesterday that the government had authorised use of Turkey's airspace for US spy planes flying on missions over Iraq.

Opinion polls show that more than 90 per cent of Turks are opposed to military action against Iraq, but with the economy in tatters and largely dependent on loans from the International Monetary Fund, Ankara may have little choice but to support a war if Washington pushes ahead. Turkey is Nato's only Muslim member and borders Iraq, so its bases are vital to any invasion.

In exchange, the government is holding out for sizeable financial compensation to offset the effects of a war on trade and tourism. The US has also stepped up its support for Turkey's long-standing bid to join the European Union.

The Turkish government has hedged its position, saying it will take the issue to a parliamentary vote only after a United Nations mandate authorising the use of force.

But it is also under increasing pressure from Washington to make a firm commitment. A 150-strong US delegation is expected in Turkey this week to inspect all ports and other facilities for use by American troops.

The issue of troops is particularly thorny. The Foreign Minister, Yasar Yakis, has said the prospect of thousands of foreign troops stationed in the country was unacceptable for many Turks.

There is also resistance to inviting British troops for reasons dating to the First World War. "We have sensitivities regarding a British military presence," said Mehmet Dulger, chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission.

Elements in the Turkish establishment are said to see Britain as a supporter of Kurdish nationalism.

A senior Turkish ministerial delegation visited Iraq earlier this week and one of the main discussion points, according to Iraqi sources, was the common desire of Ankara and Baghdad to combat future Kurdish aspirations for greater autonomy.

The Turkish military is concerned that a war might lead to the collapse of the central government in Iraq and encourage Kurds in an autonomous zone in the north to declare independence. That in turn could foment unrest among Turkey's own restive Kurds. Separatist Kurdish rebels fought the army for 15 years in a conflict which claimed some 37,000 lives. Turkey maintains a military presence in northern Iraq, and newspapers have reported that 25,000 troops could be sent to bolster that.

AK is also fearful that support for the US could alienate it from other Muslim countries. The Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, is on a tour of the Middle East to lobby for a peaceful solution to the stand-off with Iraq.