ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey said yesterday that it would not allow the United States to deploy substantial numbers of ground troops on its territory in the event of a war with Iraq.
The new Turkish government, dominated by a party with Islamist roots, said the United States could station warplanes and use Turkish airspace to carry out strikes - but only if the United Nations Security Council adopts a new resolution authorizing force against Iraq.
Turkey's stance was outlined last night by Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis after meetings between government leaders and Paul D. Wolfowitz, the U.S. deputy defense secretary.
"If we are talking about the extensive presence of American forces in Turkey, we have difficulty in explaining this to Turkish public opinion," Yakis said.
While the two sides sought to emphasize areas of agreement, the Turkish position could complicate the Bush administration's planning for a possible war with Iraq.
Turkey, a NATO member and Iraq's northern neighbor, views the United States as a key ally and wants to cooperate with Washington, but officials in the new government pointed to their need to deal with public sentiment skeptical of a military campaign.
The U.S. requests for help were relayed through the U.S. Embassy in Ankara in advance of Wolfowitz's visit and include assistance in several areas, Turkish officials said.
The United States, the Turks said, wants access to Turkish airspace for combat and support aircraft. It also wants access to about 10 Turkish airbases and ports.
The United States also asked for permission to deploy ground troops on Turkish territory. A Turkish official, who asked not to be named, said the Pentagon wanted to have the option to deploy "tens of thousands of American troops." The request from the embassy also sought the use of Turkish troops to deal with Iraqi refugees and maintain order near the Turkish-Iraqi frontier.
While ruling out a large deployment of ground troops, Turkish officials did not exclude the stationing of Special Operations Forces and small ground units.
But, Yakis said, "it may be difficult to see thousands of American forces being transported through the Turkish territory into Iraq or being stationed or deployed somewhere in Turkey and then carrying out strikes in Iraq."
The current Turkish insistence on the need to return to the Security Council before the U.S. military can make any use of bases or airspace in a war on Iraq is at odds with the Bush administration.
Asked about Turkey's position, a senior U.S. official said Washington hoped the Turks would change their minds. One option might be to return to the Security Council for discussion, but not a vote on a new resolution, if Iraq did not comply on disarmament.
"We're not convinced that this represents their final position," a senior U.S. military official said.
Washington has insisted that the resolution passed unanimously last month - and past Iraqi breaches of U.N. resolutions - conferred all the legal authority needed to carry out an attack if Iraq failed to cooperate with U.N. inspectors and take steps to dismantle suspected programs to make weapons of mass destruction.
Obtaining a second resolution from the 15-member Security Council could substantially delay a military operation and would by no means be assured.
On the military front, the Pentagon has sought to assemble a potent air and ground combat force in Turkey. Only the deployment of a powerful force, U.S. officials assert, will induce Saddam Hussein to comply with U.N. demands. If war cannot be avoided, such a force would require Iraq to fight on multiple fronts, they note, and help bring the war to a speedy conclusion.
"It's important that he see that he's surrounded by the international community, not only in the political sense, but in a real, practical military sense," Wolfowitz said.
To encourage Turkish cooperation in any attack on Iraq, Washington has been pressing the European nations to ease Turkey's entry into the European Union. The United States has also been promising increased support through the International Monetary Fund and direct U.S. aid, while assuring Ankara that the Bush administration does not support establishment of an independent Kurdish state.
Wolfowitz said last night that he was pleased by his discussions but declined to provide details.
Yakis was more explicit in discussing what Turkey would do if Hussein failed to cooperate with the United Nations.
"If it comes to that," he said, "then of course, we will cooperate with the United States because it's a big ally and we have excellent relations with the United States." Yakis said the cooperation would include "the opening of airspace, first of all, and the utilization of facilities in Turkey."