Ankara, Turkey ? Turkey’s foreign minister said Friday that a “broad agreement” had been reached with the United States on basing American soldiers here for a possible Iraq war, and that remaining disagreements would likely be resolved.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and a Western diplomat also said progress was being made. But Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said a final agreement might still be days off on approving the deployment, which could open a northern front against Iraq for a two-pronged attack aimed at dividing and overwhelming Saddam Hussein’s army.

Washington and Ankara were discussing Turkey’s request for some $10 billion in grants as well as Turkey’s demands that it send troops into northern Iraq to maintain stability if there is an invasion. The latter issue is extremely sensitive in Turkey, where there are fears a war could spark Iraqi Kurds to declare an independent state, encouraging Turkey’s own Kurdish minority.

“I am optimistic that an agreement will be reached,” Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis told The Associated Press.

Earlier, he told CNN International that Turkey and the United States had reached “a very broad agreement on all subjects. The remaining issues are not that many but I think we will be able to overcome the differences and mutually agree.”

“There are several points on which we asked the American side for clarifications,” he told AP. “The emergence of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq is one of the very important questions” in the talks.

Powell said Friday the two countries would work intensively over the next three days on their differences. He said the United States’ offer of $6 billion in aid stood, although the two sides were looking to see “how much flexibility there is.”

“We believe the possibility exists for the Turkish government to take this to their parliament early next week,” Powell said.

U.S. officials have said that the Turkish delays threaten to undermine war plans.

Gul said he expected a result “in the coming days,” but Yakis said it was not certain parliament would be ready to vote on an agreement when it meets in its next session on Tuesday.

The optimistic statements came amid rising tensions between the United States and NATO’s only Muslim member.