Turkey denies rift with U.S. over divergent Middle Eastern policies

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Turkey is denying recent media reports that Washington is pressuring Ankara over Turkey's positions on Israel and Iran imperiling its chances of obtaining U.S. weaponry.

An article published Monday by Anadolu Ajansi was titled simply, "No ultimatum to Turkey."

According to Western media reports, U.S. President Barack Obama's administration had hinted to the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey's positions on Israel's May 31 attack on the Gaza flotilla and Iran could produce consequences in U.S. military aid to Turkey.

In the first instance, during the assault on the flotilla vessels Israeli Shayetet 13 Naval Special Forces commandos boarded the convoy's lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, and shot and killed eight Turkish participants and an American, Furkan Dogan.

Washington has also been unhappy with Turkey's efforts to mediate a solution to the standoff between Iran and nations concerned about its civilian nuclear program, which a number of countries, led by the United States and Israel, insist is in fact a covert effort to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has strenuously denied the charges.

Washington's relationship with Turkey has been under pressure from changed circumstances since the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In March 2003, immediately prior to the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the administration of President George W. Bush requested that Turkey allow its territory to be used to open a northern front in the upcoming war against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but the request was voted down by the Turkish Parliament. Despite the disagreement, Turkey opened to the Pentagon the use of its Incirlik Air Base near Adana for its resupply efforts, and the airfield has become an increasingly important hub for U.S. military operations not only in Iraq but also for Afghanistan's Operation Enduring Freedom.

Turkey has waged an ongoing war against recidivist terrorist elements of the Kurdish Worker's Party since the late 1970s and is particularly interested in obtaining access to U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles, as the UAVs can provide "real time" situational information, reportedly one of the military items at risk over Turkey's policies.

A senior Obama administration official, speaking off the record, reportedly said, "The President told Erdogan that some of the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill (Congress)." In response to the British media report, White House deputy spokesman Bill Burton commented only, "I do not know from where they got that information."