一项允许美国在可能发动的攻伊战争中使用土耳其基地的议案，未能在土耳其议会过关。尽管土耳其全国上下普遍反对卷入战争，但是这次投票结果仍然大大出乎预料。

In Turkey's Parliament, a bill that would have allowed U.S. troops to use Turkish bases for a possible war with Iraq failed to gain the necessary majority of votes. The result was widely unexpected, despite widespread opposition to Turkey's involvement in a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq.

土耳其议长阿伦奇证实，这项议案没有获得法定多数议员的支持。这次投票是闭门进行的。根据初步计票结果，赞成的有264票，反对的有250票，19票弃权。尽管支持这项议案议员占多数，但是土耳其宪法要求，在所有投下的票中，支持票必须超过所投票数的半数，而表决结果没有达到要求。因此，阿伦奇议长宣布表决结果无效。

Parliament Speaker Arinc confirmed that a simple majority had not been attained. According to initial results from the balloting, held behind closed doors, 264 deputies voted in favor of the bill and 250 voted against it. There were 19 abstentions. Although more deputies voted in favor of the bill, Turkey's constitution requires a simple majority of all those voting, and that was not achieved. Parliament Speaker Arinc nullified the vote.

阿伦奇暗示， 可能在星期二还要进行一次表决。分析人士认为，这次表决结果有可能对土耳其同美国的关系产生负面影响，美国是土耳其最坚定和亲密的盟国。

Mr. Arinc hinted that a second vote may be held on Tuesday. Analysts say the result will likely have a negative impact on Turkey's relations with its strongest and closest ally, the United States.

 *美军希望开辟第二战场*

布什政府一直在敦促土耳其允许美国在土耳其境内部署大约六万二千名战斗部队。一旦攻伊战争打响，美国军队可以从土耳其进入库尔德控制的伊拉克北部地区，开辟第二战场。军事策划人员说，第二战场将会加快美国的胜利，同时减少可能的伤亡人数。

The US Military Hopes to Open a Second Front

The Bush administration has long been pressing Turkey to allow the deployment of some 62,000 combat troops on Turkish soil.  From there, once a possible war against Iraq begins, the forces could enter the Kurdish-controlled northern area of Iraq and open a second front.  Military planners say a second front would accelerate a U.S. victory and reduce the number of likely casualties.

土耳其执政的正义和发展党就允许美军驻军进行了长时间的、并且常常是紧张的谈判，还提出需要几十亿美元经济援助，用来减轻战争对土耳其经济的破坏作用。 这项议案还要求土耳其军队同美军一道部署在库尔德人控制的伊拉克北部地区，以防止伊拉克库尔德人宣布成立独立的国家。美国已经大体同意土耳其提出的全部条件，这使得正义和发展党领导人埃尔多安向美国保证，有关允许在土耳其部署美军的议案会得到通过。

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party has been in lengthy and often tense negotiations with the United States over the troop deployment, and has been holding out for billions of dollars in economic aid to mitigate the effects of a war on Turkey's economy. It has also been demanding that Turkish troops be allowed to be deployed together with U.S. forces in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The main purpose of a Turkish presence would have been to prevent the Iraqi Kurds from declaring an independent state in northern Iraq. The United States had largely agreed to all of Turkey's conditions, prompting the Justice and Development Party leader, Tayyip Erdogan, to assure the nation that the bill allowing U.S. deployment would be passed.

但是，分析人士说，包括来自正义和发展党成员在内的许多议员，显然是迫于公众压力而投下了反对票。就在议会表决开始的时候，几千名土耳其人在安卡拉重要的克兹拉伊广场集会，抗议可能对伊拉克发动的战争。最近的一项民意测验结果显示，90%的土耳其人反对攻打邻国伊拉克。

In Turkey's Parliament, a bill that would have allowed U.S. troops to use Turkish bases for a possible war with Iraq failed to gain the necessary majority of votes. The result was widely unexpected, despite widespread opposition to Turkey's involvement in a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Parliament Speaker Arinc confirmed that a simple majority had not been attained. According to initial results from the balloting, held behind closed doors, 264 deputies voted in favor of the bill and 250 voted against it. There were 19 abstentions. Although more deputies voted in favor of the bill, Turkey's constitution requires a simple majority of all those voting, and that was not achieved. Parliament Speaker Arinc nullified the vote.

Mr. Arinc hinted that a second vote may be held on Tuesday. Analysts say the result will likely have a negative impact on Turkey's relations with its strongest and closest ally, the United States.

The US Military Hopes to Open a Second Front

The Bush administration has long been pressing Turkey to allow the deployment of some 62,000 combat troops on Turkish soil.  From there, once a possible war against Iraq begins, the forces could enter the Kurdish-controlled northern area of Iraq and open a second front.  Military planners say a second front would accelerate a U.S. victory and reduce the number of likely casualties.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party has been in lengthy and often tense negotiations with the United States over the troop deployment, and has been holding out for billions of dollars in economic aid to mitigate the effects of a war on Turkey's economy. It has also been demanding that Turkish troops be allowed to be deployed together with U.S. forces in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The main purpose of a Turkish presence would have been to prevent the Iraqi Kurds from declaring an independent state in northern Iraq. The United States had largely agreed to all of Turkey's conditions, prompting the Justice and Development Party leader, Tayyip Erdogan, to assure the nation that the bill allowing U.S. deployment would be passed.