ANKARA, Feb 17: Turkey entered into a political war of nerves with the United States on Monday when it signalled it was delaying a decision on allowing US troops to deploy on Turkish soil for a possible invasion of Iraq.

In Brussels, Nato arrived at a deal to initiate defence planning measures to protect Turkey in case of war in Iraq.

Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said Turkey would not open its territory to US forces without an agreement on financial aid to help cover the cost of the conflict.

“The question of whether or not we send the proposal (to parliament) will come onto the agenda only after an agreement. I can’t give a time because first we have to reach an agreement,” Yakis told the state-run Anatolian news agency.

The United States had made it clear it expected a decision from parliament on Tuesday on permitting the deployments for a secondary “northern front” military experts say would make any action against Baghdad quicker and, for Washington, less costly.

“There is a plan that doesn’t involve a northern front,” said one Western diplomat. “The Americans may be approaching a point where they must make a decision there. They feel time is short.”

Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said he would talk to Washington to iron out differences and was quoted by a Greek government spokesman as telling Greek premier Costas Simitis the bill would be put to parliament “in the next few days”.

SEEKING GUARANTEES: Gul has acknowledged that ultimately Ankara must back its closest Nato ally but seeks guarantees for its own security. If Ankara fails to reach terms with Washington quickly, the northern front could possibly be abandoned and along with it a US financial package to cushion Turkey’s economy.