Turkey Ceases Trade With Iraq, Boosts Defenses
From Reuters
ANKARA, Turkey —
The Turkish government closed off overland trade in oil and other products with Iraq on Wednesday and beefed up its defenses against possible retaliation from Baghdad if U.S. troops are allowed to deploy on Turkish soil for a possible war.
Dutch Patriot missiles were unloaded from a cargo ship in the southern port of Iskenderun and a NATO radar plane arrived in central Turkey.
As weaponry began to arrive, Turkey evacuated its embassy in Baghdad as a precautionary measure, Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said.
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