U.S. Wants Turkish Help on Iran

Middle East Newsline:

The United States has sought Turkish cooperation to contain Iran and Syria.

Turkish government sources said the U.S. Defense Department has discussed the use of Turkey as a base for American military operations in the Middle East. They said U.S. European Command has sought to use Turkish military bases for reconnaissance and intelligence missions in Iran and Syria.

"The first stage has been defining threats in the Middle East and ways to monitor them," a Turkish source said. "The next step is an operational plan whereby both Turkey and the United States would cooperate."

Over the last three weeks, Turkey and the United States have held high-level meetings on Iran and Syria. The discussions took place during visits to Ankara by U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph.