US President George W. Bush will seek more international support to combat a surge of violence in Iraq at next week's NATO summit in Turkey, without asking for NATO troops.
The White House said tonight that Bush's Turkey schedule was unchanged by a small bomb explosion outside the hotel where he will stay in Ankara and a separate blast in Istanbul that killed three people. The summit is in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday.
Bush is under mounting election-year pressure at home to share the burden of Iraq after launching a war with the aim of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction that have never been found.
His opponent in the November 2 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts, said on Wednesday that Bush should seek "additional troops and resources" from the NATO allies.
But the White House said the US goal was to persuade NATO allies to contribute training for Iraqi security forces.
Bush has long since given up trying to persuade more NATO troops to go to Iraq. Fifteen alliance members already have some forces on the ground but key members including France and Germany are strenuously opposed to sending troops.
"What needs to happen in Iraq is we need to equip and train and beef up the Iraqi security forces," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
"That's where our focus is moving forward. We want to increase the troop levels, but we want to increase the troop levels of Iraqi forces because they are the ones who will ultimately provide for their own security."
US officials were heartened by indications that Germany and Italy were prepared to help train Iraqi military forces, a proposal that Bush brought up with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other leaders at a Group of Eight summit in Sea Island, Georgia, two weeks ago.
After bitter strains over the Iraq war between the United States and its traditional European allies, US officials believe the worst is past and the allies are more focused on the future.
"There is a united spirit of cooperation within the international community to help the Iraqi people as they move forward on holding elections and assuming full responsibility for their future," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
Ahead of his trip, Bush held talks with leaders of Congress and key members of the appropriations and foreign relations committees.