Bush chooses not to say "genocide," Ankara approves wider use of Incirlik for US forces

Permission for US forces to use the military base in Incirlik as a "logistics hub" has been officially granted by the Turkish government, and last night, the papers went to the Presidential Palace for President Sezer to sign. It is expected that President Sezer will issue his official approval today.The original permission, which was in a decision approved in June 2003, was extended for the second time for the length of one year, and this time included approval of much wider use of the base by both US and British forces. There was speculation as to the timing of the approval of wider US Incirlik use, and the speech US President George Bush made in the US Congress regarding Armenians and their efforts to draw attention to the events between 1915-1923. Ankara was reportedly pleased that Bush never once mentioned the word "genocide" in his speech before the US Congress.  Â