United States Of America : Textile Industry Fears Turkish Aid Package

The US textile industry fears that textile trade benefits could be part of an economic aid package offered to Turkey as a potential ally in the US war on terrorism.

Textile makers are concerned that the Bush administration has promised Turkey more access to the US textile market as part of a deal to allow the United States to deploy its troops in the country.

Robert DuPree, vice president for government relations at the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, told Reuters on Monday that “Our industry, frankly, can't afford to be used as a bargaining chip. We've made that very clear to our friends in Congress and to the administration."

He is also reported a saying the industry has heard the White House could also be looking to waive certain "Buy America" provisions so the US military could purchase textile products from Turkey.