World Bulletin

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Rasmussen disrespectful toward Islam: Turkey’s senior AKP official
Senior AKP official said, "it is unacceptable that a person who
loutishly disrespect our faith and holy values in the past, will head
the Alliance."

Tuesday, 24 March 2009 15:49

Suat Kiniklioglu, deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and
Development (AK) Party for foreign relations, said, "it is
unacceptable that a person who loutishly disrespect our faith and holy
values in the past, will head the Alliance."

In an interview with the A.A, Kiniklioglu said that election of Prime
Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark as the new secretary-general
of NATO could cause some difficulties for the Alliance because of the
Islam world’s perception of him."

"The Danish prime minister is a troublesome person for Turkey. There
are three reasons of this: First of all, he was captured by cameras as
saying after the EU Summit in 2003 that Turkey would never become a
full member of the EU; then, he assumed an irresponsible and
unsentimental attitude during the cartoon crisis, and lastly, he
failed to prevent broadcast of Roj TV from Denmark," he said.

The cartoon crisis erupted in 2006 after a Danish newspaper cartoon
depicted the Prophet Mohammad (PBHU)in a way regarded as a serious
disrespect by Muslims.

"The way of the Islam world’s perceiving Rasmussen is of great
importance. It is unacceptable for us that a person who loutishly
disrespect our faith and holy values in the past, will head the
Alliance especially in a period when U.S.President Barack Obama wants
to focus his foreign policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said.

Kiniklioglu said, "Defense Minister Peter Mackay of Canada, who is
also a candidate, well-understands Turkey’s sensitivities. He could
stand up and object to the approval of the Armenian resolution by the
Canadian parliament. On the other hand, some circles are trying to
create a consensus in favor of Rasmussen by showing Turkey as the only
country objecting to his election. In fact, there are other countries
which are positive about Mackay’s becoming the next secretary-general
of the Alliance. The United States, in the meantime, has not yet made
a decision."

Current Secretary-General Dutchman Jaap de Hoop Scheffer steps down on
July 31. His successor is expected to be named at the NATO Summit in
France and Germany on April 3-4. NATO leadership positions are filled
by consensus among the 26-nation military pact.