US, Turkey agree on supplies for N. Iraq troops

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday he had agreed with Nato ally Turkey on measures to ship supplies through Turkish territory to US forces fighting in northern Iraq.

Powell, visiting to repair damage to relations done by Ankara's refusal to allow US troops to attack Iraq from neighbouring Turkey, said US troops airlifted into Kurdish northern Iraq had stabilised the situation there.

He saw no cause for Turkey to send its troops into the region.

The United States fears any fresh deployment of Turkish troops could lead to conflict with local Kurds and disrupt the war effort. The issue was central to Powell's talks in Ankara.

Powell reiterated that Washington was disappointed by Turkey's refusal to allow some 62,000 troops to invade Iraq from its territory - an operation military experts say could have shortened the war and reduced US casualties. But he said Washington was now looking for help in supplying its forces in the north, estimated at a few thousand lightly armed men.

"We have solved all the outstanding issues with respect to providing supplies through Turkey to those units that are doing such a wonderful job in northern Iraq to keep the situation in northern Iraq stable," Powell told a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

The two also agreed that wounded servicemen or women recovered in search and rescue operations based inside northern Iraq could be transported out through Turkey and possibly treated there, a Turkish government source said.

"Food aid, fuel and other humanitarian aid will be carried out through Turkey. There is mutual agreement," Gul said.

It was not clear if there would be further requests for the passage of vehicles, munitions or other equipment.