Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a proposal to parliament to send troops to Iraq, agency reports said Tuesday.
If the request is approved, it would make Turkey the first major Muslim nation to contribute troops for the American campaign in Iraq.
In March, the Turkish parliament had rejected a government appeal to let US troops pass through Turkey en route to Iraq, forcing the US to rethink its entire strategy.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "We welcome the decision by the Turkish government.
"Turkey has an important role to play in stabilising Iraq. We continue our discussions with Turkish authorities on the details of possible deployment, if Parliament endorses the government's request," he said.
But Washington has made it clear that its endorsement of a loan of $ 8.5 billion to Turkey was dependent on Turkey's cooperation in Iraq.
Prime Minister Erdogan, who is expected to address members of his party Tuesday urging support for the move, has said sending troops would help mend ties with Washington and give Turkey a say in the future of Iraq.
A government spokesman declined comment on how many soldiers Turkey might send if parliament approved the request, but officials said Washington has sought about 10,000.
The US war in Iraq: Complete Coverage
