Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan

Juan Cole 09/08/2003

*Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan angrily demanded a clarification from Iraq and the US about whether Turkish troops are wanted as peace enforcers. The new Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, said that it was better if the Turks did not send troops. “’Otherwise, we are not that eager’ to get militarily involved, he added.” (IRNA).

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page