Is this because of their help when we invaded Iraq?

Everyone remember the 4th ID sitting on ships off the coast waiting? The votes by their parliament?

Gertz:

U.S. weighs strategic assistance, including missile defense, to Turkey

ANKARA -- The United States has been examining the prospect of extending military assistance to Turkey.

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama was considering military aid as part of defense cooperation between Ankara and Washington. They said U.S. military aid could help Turkey launch strategic programs, including missile defense. (From who? Iran or Israel, or Greece, another NATO member?)

The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3).

"I think that Turkey is in a unique position," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said. "It is a member of the NATO alliance and is the southeastern anchor of the alliance. It is geographically located in the Middle East but also in Central Asia."

Turkey, opposed by the Greek lobby in Congress, has not received significant aid from the United States since Ankara rejected the deployment of American troops in 2003. Washington ended military grant aid to Ankara in 1993 and allowed Turkey to purchase weapons through direct loans.

In fiscal 2009, Turkey received $1 million in U.S. Foreign Military Financing, with no funds proposed for either 2010 or 2011. The administration has allocated $4 million for military education for Ankara in fiscal 2011, a $1 million decrease from the previous year.

During a surprise visit to Ankara on Feb. 6, Gates said Washington wanted to increase military cooperation with Turkey. He said this could include the stationing of missile defense assets as part of a U.S. plan to protect Europe from long-range ballistic missiles fired from Iran and North Korea.

"It [Turkey] has special access in a sense of a place at the table, if you will, from Europe to Central Asia to the Middle East," Gates said.

Turkey has requested the PAC-3 missile defense system in a deal estimated at more than $7 billion. Officials said some of the assets could be procured as part of the U.S. missile defense umbrella for Europe.

"I think that Turkey's taking that on and playing a constructive role in all of those areas is a very positive thing," Gates said.

Gates said the United States also wanted to help Turkey in the war against the Kurdish Workers Party in northern Iraq. Iraq, Turkey and the United States have established a joint intelligence center to monitor the PKK in Iraq's Kandil mountains.

"I offered during my visit here to see if there are more capabilities that we can share with Turkey in terms of taking on this threat," Gates told a news conference. "I think what we are seeing is a further intensification of the cooperation in an effort to deal with this threat."

The defense secretary said he did not press Turkish officials to contribute additional troops for Afghanistan. Gates expressed satisfaction with Turkey's 1,700-member contingent, which comprised two provincial reconstruction teams and several mentoring teams in the NATO stabilization mission.

"However, more trainers are needed, and needed immediately," Gates said. "I pressed the alliance to meet the long-standing demands of thousands more instructors and mentors for the Afghan army and police."