Until now, Ankara has provided Britain and the United States the use of
Turkish air space. Ankara also cancelled an air and sea exercise in the
Mediterranean to keep the area open for U.S. and British militaries.
Turkish military sources said the exercise was to have begun on
Wednesday and last until Nov. 9. The exercise was formally postponed on
late Tuesday.
A military statement confirmed the postponement of the exercise. The
statement cited the political and military situation in the area.
The Turkish exercise, called Barbaros 2001, was to have included both
warships and air force
combat jets. A statement by the General Staff said exercise was being
suspended to free air and sea corridors for the U.S.-led war against
Afghanistan. U.S. and British combat aircraft have been using Turkish air
space for the war effort.
In Baghdad, the Babal newspaper, published by Uday Hussein, the
president's son, said a U.S. attack on Iraq is expected when winter sets in
and the current military offensive is suspended in Afghanistan. The
newspaper said such a U.S.-led attack would be limited and would begin with
a massive missile attack on strategic Iraqi targets.
