NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETING TO START ON THURSDAY
BRUSSELS - National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul arrived in Belgium on Wednesday to participate in NATO Defense Ministers Council meetings.
Defense ministers of NATO member countries will convene on Thursday and Friday in Brussels to hold spring term meetings.
NATO defense ministers will start with Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) meeting on Thursday morning. European Union (EU) will brief about its new nuclear policy at this meeting.
Defense Planning Committee (DPC) which France did not participate in, will review defense planning process of the Alliance. Meanwhile, United States will brief the ministers about Iraq's experience.
Several documents pertaining to formation of NATO Rapid Deployment Force will be approved in DPC, and new command structure of the Alliance will be discussed.
Situation in the Balkans, and evaluation of NATO operations will be taken up in Defense Ministers Council which is expected to take place with the participation of France.
The ministers will also discuss NATO-EU cooperation and Afghanistan.
European Atlantic Partnership Council will convene in the last day of the meetings with the participation of countries who make cooperation with NATO.
One of the issues which has priority in the agenda of DPC is approval of changes pertaining to command structure of the Alliance. However, Greece mentions about delaying approval process with initiatives like veto method on charges that more share was granted to Turkey in the new structuring.
NATO reduces number of current commands in the new command structure. Southern Region Air Forces Command is foreseen to be set up in Aegean Izmir province in the new structuring. Demand of Greece which wants Naval Forces Command was not welcomed.
NATO Southern Region Air Forces Command, which will be responsible for air control and operations in Southern region, will have operation in the form of a multinational headquarters.
All the countries oppose Athens, which gives signals that it would veto the decision pertaining to new command structure. United States continue initiatives to convince Greece prior to NATO meetings.
Turkish sources say settlement of Southern Region Air Forces Command would facilitate solution of some air space problems between Turkey and Greece, and that the region with the new arrangement would be considered as the only air space with respect to NATO.
Postponement of the most important decision, which is expected by NATO Defense Ministers Council meeting, will be in question in case attitude of Greece does not change.
(AY-AÖ) 11.06.2003