Nato fails to deliver defence deal for Turkey
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By Judy Dempsey in Brussels
Published: March 3 2003 18:26Solidarity in the Nato alliance suffered another blow on Monday after member states failed to provide adequate military back-up to defend Turkey against any possible attack from Iraq.
It came just two weeks after Nato had agreed to the Turkish request, originally presented by the US, to provide the Ankara government with a defence guarantee.
The agreement was reached only after a three-week dispute that exposed all the strains and differences in the alliance over Iraq and rocked Nato's credibility.
France, Germany and Belgium had insisted no decision over providing a security guarantee for Turkey could be made until Hans Blix, the United Nations chief weapons inspector, had reported to the UN Security Council.
In the meantime, Germany had sent 46 Patriot missiles to the Netherlands. The Dutch government then dispatched the missiles to Turkey to be fitted on three Patriot defence systems. After the agreement in Nato, Awacs, Nato's early warning airborne system, was also sent to patrol the Turkish skies.
However, Shape, the alliance's planning headquarters, last week sent letters to all member states, setting out what was needed in addition to the three Patriot batteries and the Awacs.
Nato diplomats said Shape asked for more Patriot systems - "more than three but less than 110" - air-to-air refueling systems for the Awacs, jet fighters to protect the Awacs in flight, anti-chemical and biological units and more security personnel for the military equipment.
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany said last week Berlin had provided enough to Turkey in the form of the missiles. It was not going to send any more, he added.
Nato diplomats said the US has Patriot missiles, while the Netherlands has none at its disposal and Greece, for political reasons, cannot sent such equipment to Turkey.
Monday's response by Nato countries fell way short of the requisites. "They do not totally meet the requirements," said a Nato official. He added that Admiral Rainer Feist, deputy chief of Saceur (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe), would ask the capitals to reconsider.
"We did not go into this blindly," explained another Nato official. "Some of the countries said they were overstretched or had other commitments. And we know what Germany had already said about not providing any more assistance. It is now back to the capitals to think about it," he added.
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