TURKEY’ GUL GIVES DENMARK PM THUMBS UP TO HEAD NATO
By Lisa Bryant

fm
27 March 2009

Turkey said on Friday it was not opposed to Denmark’s prime minister
becoming the next head of NATO. That message was delivered by Turkish
President Abdullah Gul in Brussels, where he was visiting to push
Ankara’s stalled candidacy to the European Union.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul praised Danish Prime Minister Anders
Fogh Rasmussen, calling him one of the most important and successful
prime ministers in Europe. Mr. Gul’s remarks, made to reporters in
Brussels, appeared to mark a turnaround.

Key NATO member Turkey was previously considered a stumbling block
to Mr. Rasmussen’s candidacy to be the next head of the Atlantic
alliance. He is considered the favored candidate of Washington and
a number of other NATO members to take over the post after outgoing
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer leaves steps down. NATO leaders
gather on the French-German border next week to mark the alliance’s
60th anniversary.

Mr. Gul’s visit to Europe was largely to push Turkey’s candidacy to
join the 27-member European Union. Turkey’s prime minister also visited
the EU in January. Talks have slowed over a number of issues, including
over EU member Cyprus which Turkey does not recognize. And several EU
members have reservations about offering Ankara full membership status.

But the Turkish government is now working hard to convince them. On
Thursday, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission,
the EU’s executive arm, praised Turkey for pushing reforms in a number
of areas.

"As concerns political reforms, I welcome Turkey’s intention to
move ahead on political issues such the rules governing the closing
of political parties and gender equality," he said. "It is also
particularly important to pay attention to freedom of expression,
freedom of religion and particularly freedom of the press. The
independence and pluralism of the press are fundamental values in
any democracy."

Mr. Barroso also praised Mr. Gul for paying a landmark visit to Armenia
last year. The two countries have no ties and are at still at odds over
the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman soldiers during World War I.

But he said it was important the Cyprus question was resolved.