NATO chief seeks Turkey’s consent on EU-NATO cooperation

[Babur Han]

NATO chief seeks Turkey’s consent on EU-NATO cooperation

Thursday, October 7, 2010
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News





NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has sought to persuade Turkey to lift its veto on Greek Cyprus’ possible role in European Union-NATO cooperation, a long-standing hurdle to Brussels’ ambition of increasing its military capability.

“We are ready to work with him to find a solution that would take into consideration Turkey's attitude in principle and allay our concerns,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters.

The NATO chief was in Ankara on Thursday as part of a tour of the capitals of several key allies prior to the NATO Lisbon summit to be held on Nov. 19-20, where he will present his strategic concept for the alliance.

He was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Davutoğlu as the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to press late Thursday.

The main topics of discussion in Ankara are expected to be the new strategic concept of NATO, enhancing NATO-EU cooperation, the missile defense system project and NATO’s mission in Afghanistan.

Rasmussen is consulting Turkey prior to the summit as part of an effort to attain greater security integration between the EU and NATO. To do so, Turkey must be persuaded to lift its veto on security issues pertaining to Greek Cypus.

Cooperation between NATO and the EU has long been held back due to vetoes by both Greek Cypus and Turkey, in the EU and NATO respectively. Greek Cyprus’ veto has prevented Turkey from signing an arrangement with the European Defense Agency, or EDA, while Turkey has blocked the participation of Greek Cyprus in European Security Defense Policy, or ESDP, missions.

At the European Council meeting held in September, the EU commissioned Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief of the EU, to prepare proposals to increase cooperation with NATO.

Rasmussen called on the EU to give Turkey a role in the union's security policy and came to Ankara with a proposal.

Under the proposal, the EU would conclude a security agreement with Turkey, give Turkey special status with the EDA and involve Ankara in decision-making processes regarding EU security missions.

“I have recommended that the EU [engage] in security cooperation with Turkey. Moreover, I suggested that the EDA make an agreement with Turkey extending to common cooperation areas on defense,” Rasmussen told the private NTV News channel prior to his visit.

Noting that he was visiting Turkey for consultations before the NATO summit, Rasmussen said in his interview that he saw Turkey as a key ally. He reiterated that a draft of the new strategic concept of NATO would be delivered to member bodies and would be discussed Oct. 14.

Regarding NATO’s long debated missile-defense system project, in which Turkey is also included, Rasmussen said, “Our goal is to [bring] all states and populations into NATO. The U.S. system can be connected to European systems.”

Russia should also be invited to cooperate so NATO could show the system was not anti-Russian but, on the contrary, meant to protect all populations, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen also said he appreciated Turkey’s decision to extend its Kabul Regional command in Afghanistan. Turkey declared its decision to extend the command, which it has held since November 2009, ahead of the NATO chief’s visit.

The Turkish commander of the Kabul regional command in Afghanistan, Brig. Gen. Levent Çolak, whose tenure is set to expire Oct. 28, was decorated with the eminent services medal with the approval of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The medal was presented by Afghan Defense Minister Abdurrahim Vardak during a ceremony this week attended by Turkish Ambassador to Kabul Basat Öztürk and military officials.

NATO chief seeks Turkey’s consent on EU-NATO cooperation - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

 

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