Union still hopeful of deal on access to NATO assets

Date: 21/12/00

By Simon Taylor

Governments are optimistic Turkey may agree to give the Union automatic access to NATO hardware soon, even though Ankara blocked a deal last week.

Defence officials say Turkey could drop its opposition to the move provided wide-ranging consultations between the EU and the military alliance planned for next year increase Ankara's confidence in the Union's new security initiative.

"It might be easier for the Turks to accept later than at a moment of high tension," said one. "The Turks' declaration gives us room for further discussions."

The setback for the EU's planned independent crisis management force came at the first joint meeting of Union and NATO foreign ministers, when Ankara refused to agree to give the EU guaranteed access to military assets and planners. The Union aims to set up a 60,000-strong rapid reaction force by 2003, but will rely heavily on NATO assets, especially transport aircraft and intelligence-gathering technology.

Ankara argues that the EU should only have automatic access to such equipment if Turkey has full rights to decide when to launch a mission, arguing that it will have a crucial role in any operations because of its 40-year membership of NATO and proximity to potential trouble spots in the Balkans and the Caucasus.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said NATO should not accept "discrimination among its members" and insisted that the Union was being "unfair to ask for unlimited access to NATO assets and capabilities and at the same time to set out rules and modalities".

Turkish officials say the Union will have to make further concessions before Ankara will agree to give it the rights it is seeking. "It is up to the EU to solve this problem," said one, although he stressed that the absence of a deal on automatic access did not mean that the Union's efforts to create a military force were deadlocked. "We are not against closer cooperation between NATO and the EU. We will need to see some development on participation. Otherwise we can make progress on a case-by-case basis."

Under the limited agreement reached last week, there will be two meetings of Union and NATO foreign ministers each year plus two sessions at ambassador level. Four EU-NATO working groups will also continue to meet regularly to discuss relations.

Governments are optimistic Turkey may agree to give the Union automatic access to NATO hardware soon, even though Ankara blocked a deal in December 2000. Defence officials say Turkey could drop its opposition to the move provided wide-ranging consultations between the EU and the military alliance planned for 2001 increase Ankara's confidence in the Union's new security initiative.