flamer84
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ANKARA — Turkey’s future role in NATO in increasingly uncertain.
Officials said Turkey, with the second largest army, would not respond to a NATO decision to double its rapid-response force and form a new unit, Middle East Newsline reported. They said Ankara would seek clarifications over the use of the new NATO forces as well the latest threat perception by the alliance.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at U.S. Patriot missile system in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey. / *******
“This perception is one-sided,” Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said.
On Feb. 5, Yilmaz joined NATO defense ministers for a session that concluded with a decision to more than double the size of the alliance’s rapid-response force. Brussels also decided to organize another rapid-response unit of 5,000 troops.
Officials said Ankara maintained serious differences with other NATO members. They said a major disagreement concerned deployment to stop Russia’s expansion into Ukraine and Baltic states.
“Threats should not be differentiated, and it is not right to set up regional forces by looking at these threats,” Yilmaz said.
In an interview with Turkey’s semi-official Andalou Agency on Feb. 6, Yilmaz said Ankara would need several months to examine the new NATO requirements. He said a key issue was the contribution of countries that were asking for the NATO troops.
“Turkey’s contribution will be clear by June,” Yilmaz said. “There are points that need to be clarified, like which host countries will undertake how much of the costs and how much will be financed by NATO funds. Turkey will do what falls to it after these are straightened out.”
As Europe faces mounting threats, Turkey questions NATO role - World Tribune | World Tribune
Well,it looks like strong Eastern flank Pol-Ro-Tur our politicians were blabbing about has just unceremoniously kicked the bucket.Add that an unreliable Gre-Hun-Bul-Ser and this region just became a powder kegg.Interesting times ahead.
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