Leavenworth Strategist

Turks to NATO: Let’s get it right

by Serkan Demirtaş ISTANBUL (Hürriyet) - Turkey says the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan, referred to collectively as Afpak, should be considered separate cases with separate solutions. 'Analysis made for Afghanistan cannot be applicable to Pakistan,' a senior official says. Turkey has expressed this view to NATO, the EU and the US and will work to influence policy in the region

 Amid new initiatives to deal with the growing problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Turkey is readying to roll up its sleeves to guide international efforts toward a more sound policy regarding the region.

Despite its support for the United States-led approach to resolving issues in the troubled region, Turkey has objected to the generalization of the countries’ problems, saying, "One size does not always fit all."

"Analysis made for Afghanistan cannot be applicable to Pakistan. We have no problem with the use of the word ’Afpak,’ but one should not forget the differences between these two countries," a senior foreign ministry official told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

Turkey to command Somalia anti-piracy force: US

MANAMA (Google/AFP) Apr 24, 2009

The US Fifth Fleet announced on Friday it is transferring command of the counter-piracy international naval force CTF 151 to the Turkish Navy on May 3.

"The US Navy will transfer command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 to the Turkish Navy on Sunday May 3, 2009," Lieutenant Nathan Christensen of the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

Rear Admiral Michelle Howard will hand over control of the task force to Turkish Rear Admiral Caner Bener in a ceremony aboard the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, the Navy said.

"Turkey will be the second nation to command the counter-piracy task force. This also marks the first time Turkey will command a Combined Maritime Forces Task Force," the statement said...

NATO To Give Russia Early Warning

(The Norway Post) NATO members Norway, Poland and Turkey are to set up a radar system which will give Russia early warning about possible threats from abroad. In return, Russia will provide NATO with information of similar possible threats against NATO. 

A spokesman for the Polish defence department says the headquarter for the new radar system will be located in Warsaw.

According to the Polish newspaper Dziennik, the new radar network will gather information from the three nations' radar stations and inform Russia about possible threats from the air.

NATO Secretary General: “NATO must not be involved in Nagorno Karabakh problem”

Strasbourg. Fuad Gulubeyli–APA.

On April 2, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer engaged in an open debate in Strasbourg with young people from almost 60 nations about "NATO in 2020: What Lies Ahead", APA correspondent reports from Strasbourg. Following his report, the NATO Secretary General answered the questions of the students, including what the Armenian student asked about the Armenia’s integration to NATO, solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict and opening of Turkish-Armenian borders. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer highly appreciated NATO-Armenian relationship. “We are working together with Armenia within the Partnership for Peace Program. Regarding the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, I don’t think that NATO has a decisive role in this issue. Our organization is not involved in this issue. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is solved within the OSCE Minsk Group. I also took interest in the solution of this problem while working as foreign minister and OSCE chairman-in-office”.

The Secretary General said recently there was progress in the issue of opening the Turkish-Armenian borders and he hoped that the two countries could improve their relations.

NATO leaders deadlocked over new secretary-general

By SLOBODAN LEKIC and SELCAN HACAOGLU 

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — NATO deadlocked Saturday over the choice of a new secretary-general after Turkey blocked the candidacy of a Dane who angered Muslims by defending the right to print cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, officials said.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was seen as the front-runner but he infuriated many Muslims by defending freedom of speech during an uproar over a Danish newspaper's publication of the cartoons in 2006. He has also angered Turkey by opposing its membership in the European Union...

Turkey Joins Counterpiracy Mission in the Gulf of Aden

Navy NewsStand  Newstory Number: NNS090227-07, Release Date: 2/27/2009 1:50:00 PM

By Lt. John Fage, Combined Task Force 151 Public Affairs

MONTEREY, At Sea (NNS) -- The Turkish frigate TCG Giresun (F-491) joined
Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 Feb. 26 and began conducting counterpiracy operations in the Gulf of Aden alongside other coalition naval forces.

"Bringing another professional navy into the fold is going to make it even more difficult for the pirates to operate out here," said Rear Adm. Terence McKnight, commander, CTF 151. "Giresun and her crew will add even more experience and manpower to a very robust counterpiracy mission. We're making life very difficult for those looking to disrupt the free flow of commerce in the area."

Commanded by Capt. Cenk Dalkanat, Giresun joins CTF 151's flagship USS Monterey (CG 61), the Danish flexible support ship HDMS Absalon (L 16), and other ships from the U.S. and U.K., which have conducted operations as part of the task force...

 

Cyprus: Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeping mission

(UN News Centre) 12 December 2008 –

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP) by six months, welcoming September’s historic launch of talks between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island.

The Council voted unanimously to keep the mission, which has been in operation since 1964 after the eruption of intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, in place through 15 June 2009.

NATO ships in Black Sea on routine visit, unrelated to Georgia crisis

NATO Press Release, 28 Aug 08- The Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1), a group of NATO warships, conducts routine port visits and exercises with NATO member nations bordering the Black Sea since 21 August.

This deployment is routine in nature and has been planned for over a year, notification of the requirement to transit the Turkish Straits was given in June well before the current Georgia crisis and is completely unrelated. In accordance with the terms of the Montreux Convention, the ships will stay no longer than 21 days in the Black Sea. 

SNMG 1 currently comprises the Spanish SPS Adm Juan de Borbon, the German, FGS Luebeck and the Polish, ORP General K Pulaski and the US frigate, USS Taylor.

Nato making mistake in Afghanistan, warns Turkish minister

By Damien McElroy, Telegraph Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Nato is courting disaster in Afghanistan by relying too much on force to defeat the Taliban, Turkey's foreign minister said yesterday.  Ali Babacan rejected the criticisms from British and US officials that have been directed recently at Turkey and other Nato members for refusing to deploy their troops to the country's troubled south and east regions.

Mr Babacan, who met Gordon Brown during a visit to London yesterday, raised his concerns that the shift to a more militaristic approach would backfire and ultimately undermine the Afghan government.

Bush endorses Turkey's EU bid

08.01.2008 | Deutsche Welle

US President George W Bush and visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul have called Iraqi-based Kurdish rebels a “common enemy”.  Speaking from the White House, earlier in the day, during Gul's first visit to the US as Turkish president, Bush also said that Europe would benefit if Turkey became a member of the European Union, calling Turkey's admittance as being in the “interests of peace”. Bush also described Ankara as the bridge between Europe and the Muslim world.

Turkey responds to EU's criticism over ESDP row

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

  Turkey responded late Monday the European Union's criticism over its blockage to NATO-European Union defense cooperation and pointed to a deal reached between the parties in 2002 that excludes Greek Cyprus from multinational military operations in which NATO is involved.

   “It should be noted that the Agreed Framework stipulates that only the EU member states which are also either NATO members or parties to the ‘Partnership for Peace,' and which have consequently concluded bilateral security agreements with NATO, can participate in this kind of a cooperation,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement, apparently in reference to EU Commissioner for Enlargment Olli Rehn's remarks last week advising Turkey to let Greek Cyprus join the Kosovo mission.