Nato role unsettles Ankara’s ambitions

Turkey’s objections to the military intervention in Libya reflect the difficulties of balancing its traditional role within Nato with its aspirations to be a regional power.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, has won influence in the Arab world by asserting Ankara’s independence from the west: refusing to aid the US invasion of Iraq, lambasting Israel, and opposing UN sanctions imposed on Iran last year.

‘Turkey will never, never be the side pointing weapons at the Libyan people,’ he told his party in a televised speech on Tuesday, reiterating concern that the French-led actions had gone further than the UN mandate for a purely humanitarian operation.

ESO: Background information: Turkey and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/turkey-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Background information: UK and France to spearhead campaign http://www.europeansources.info/record/uk-and-france-to-spearhead-campaign/

ESO: Background information: Fears moment passed for Libya intervention http://www.europeansources.info/record/fears-moment-passed-for-libya-intervention/

EurActiv, 23.3.11: Coalition looks to NATO to take over Libya operations http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/coalition-looks-nato-take-libya-news-503405

EUObserver, 23.3.11: Committee of foreign ministers set to run Libya campaign http://euobserver.com/9/32042

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