Of the 550-seat parliament, 308 lawmakers voted for allowing U.S. to upgrade Turkish bases and ports

ANKARA, February 6 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – The Turkish parliament on Thursday, February 6, gave the thumbs-up to allow American specialists in the country to start "renovation, development, construction, expansion and infrastructure work at military bases" for an envisaged invasion of Iraq.

A total of 308 lawmakers in the 550-seat parliament voted to authorize the modernization of Turkish military bases, seen by many as the first step on the road to a U.S.-led war on neighboring Iraq, reported Agence France-Presse  (AFP).

The debate and vote were held in a closed-door session at the request of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which enjoys a majority of 363 seats in the parliament.

The AKP has have recently signaled it was willing to line up behind U.S. plans against Iraq after months of anti-war rhetoric.

"We have to act together with our strategic partner and ally the United States for our national interests," the daily mass-circulation Milliyet quoted Turkish Prime Minister Abdallah Gul as saying.

Gul was echoing remarks made on Tuesday, February 4, by his party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"This is a precautionary decision. Our moral priority is peace... but when it comes to our political priority there lie Turkey's interests and security," Erdogan said.

However, Gul tried to play down Turkey's role in a possible war against Iraq.

"We are not entering a war... The Turkish armed forces will not be fighting.

"The Turkish soldiers will be in northern Iraq to take precautions, not to fight.

"They will be there to prevent massacres, waves of refugees and the establishment of a (Kurdish) state," Gul said.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which has 177 seats, had announced prior to the vote it would reject the government's request to authorize the deployment of U.S. engineers.

The government is planning to ask parliament on February 18 to authorize the deployment of 10,000 U.S. troops and 350 warplanes in the country, and to let an extra 30,000 U.S. soldiers enter Iraq through Turkey.

"We are not entering a war... The Turkish armed forces will not be fighting," said Gul

The Turkish decision came as Ankara geared up for talks with U.S. officials on financial aid in return for its backing for war on Iraq.

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary  John Taylor was due to hold talks in Ankara Thursday over U.S. financial aid to offset any damage the fragile Turkish economy might suffer in the event of a war.

As a NATO member, Turkey has been under intense pressure from Washington to allow U.S. troops to use its bases, as the country occupies a politically and strategically vital position.

Turkey, however, fears that a war in Iraq could encourage Kurdish groups in northern Iraq to take steps towards independence, fuelling separatism among its own Kurdish population.

Popular opinion in Turkey is strongly opposed to war, which could have serious consequences for the Turkish economy.

Polls show four out of five Turks against an attack on a fellow Muslim nation.

Before the vote, Iraq's Ambassador to Turkey, Talib Abid Saleh, warned that any state providing logistical support to the U.S. would "be participating in the war.

"Countries which participate in this manner will be committing a big crime and a strategic mistake," BBC News online quoted him as saying.