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Turkey ordered three Iraqi diplomats expelled for engaging in what it said were activities unrelated to their missions, Foreign Ministry officials said Saturday.

The diplomats were asked to leave on Thursday and were expected to depart next week, the private NTV television station said. They were among more than 20 that Washington has asked Ankara to expel.

Turkish officials did not explain what the diplomats allegedly had done. Iraq Embassy officials were not available for comment.

The United States has asked all countries with Iraqi embassies to expel their diplomats to isolate the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and remove a potential threat to U.S. interests.

Last month, Jordan became the first Arab country to expel Iraqi diplomats. On Tuesday, Egypt ordered a senior diplomat to leave the country within a week.

Turkey refused to allow U.S. troops to use its territory to open a northern front in the war, but has allowed coalition planes to use its airspace. Turkey also agreed to allow the United States to send fuel, food and medicine but not weapons through its territory to U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

photo credit and caption:

Turkish riot police stand guard near the U.S. Consulate during an anti-war demonstration in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday April 3, 2003. Turkish women, wearing white scarves to symbolize peace, created a human chain and marched to the U.S Consulate to protest the coalition war against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime. The group dispersed peacefully. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer)

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