Turkey Wants In on Iraq

After refusing to allow the U.S. military to use its bases to mount a northern front against Saddam Hussein's regime this spring, Turkey is opening its military bases, ports, and airports to the U.S. and other countries rebuilding Iraq. The move marks an effort by Ankara to ease tensions with Washington -- and cash in on reconstruction. Turkey recently proposed to the Bush Administration projects ranging from setting up an Iraqi cell-phone network to building roads and dams, says Soner Cagaptay, a Turkey analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Ankara wants to fund the projects partly with up to $8.5 billion in loan guarantees previously offered by the U.S.