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ANKARA: Weighing 'non' on French NATO bid

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  • ANKARA: Weighing 'non' on French NATO bid

    Hürriyet, Turkey
    Feb 7 2009


    Weighing 'non' on French NATO bid

    ANKARA - With France seen to be pouring cold water on Turkey's EU bid,
    NATO members are anxiously looking to see to what degree Turkey uses
    its veto trump as leverage.

    As many in NATO look to see Turkey's reaction to France's
    announcement that France wanted to rejoin the organization's military
    arm, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday that Turkey was
    evaluating the decision.

    More than four decades after quitting NATO's military wing, France
    wants back in the fold. But as all decisions are made unanimously in
    NATO, all eyes have turned on Turkey, which holds a right to
    veto. Critics have said how Ankara reacts will be important,
    considering the French blow to the country's accession negotiations
    with the European Union. Paris objects to the opening of five policy
    chapters in Turkish-EU talks.

    "What's important is when and how the decision will be implemented by
    NATO," Babacan told reporters at Ankara's EsenboÄ?a airport
    before departing for Munich, where he was to attend a security
    conference.

    Babacan said France was already an active member of the transatlantic
    alliance and involved in some NATO operations, such as the operation
    in Afghanistan. He said the issue had both legal and political
    elements but that the political aspect was dominant.

    "We are making an assessment of this. What's important is the NATO
    alliance remains strong as an international organization, but I
    believe the decision process over the French application will be
    discussed in the coming days," he said. Meanwhile French Prime
    Minister François Fillon appealed to Ankara in search of an
    appropriate time for a visit, learned the Hürriyet Daily News &
    Economic Review. Although the timing of the request coincides with
    the debate on the French return to NATO's military wing, the sources
    recalled that such a visit was long-planned and cannot be ultimately
    linked to the NATO Summit that will take place April 3 and 4.

    Irked by what it saw as a dominant role of the United States in NATO,
    France pulled out of the NATO military wing in 1966. France's Le Monde
    newspaper covered the issue and said Ankara was holding an important
    card, referring to Turkey's veto power.

    Babacan said NATO was considering the French decision. "But a large
    portion of NATO member states are looking on this
    positively. Processes are important here. I am sure the French will
    submit the modalities on their return as soon as possible."Turkey has
    resisted efforts by the European Union and NATO to cooperate more
    closely, complaining that EU-member Greek Cyprus Ä? with whom it
    has a longstanding dispute over the divided island Ä? is
    blocking its bid for closer EU ties leading to membership.

    Babacan, who will be in Munich between Feb. 6 and 8, will participate
    in the Security Policies Conference and hold bilateral meetings on the
    sidelines of the conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
    Nalbandian."The timing of the meeting with the Armenian foreign
    minister has been confirmed," he said. The two also met at the World
    Economic Forum in Davos last week.

    Babacan will visit Azerbaijan on Monday for talks with his
    counterpart, Elmar Memmedyarov, and President Ilham Aliyev, according
    to the ministry.
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