IZMIR - Gregory G. Johnson, Commander in Chief of Allied Forces, Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) said on Monday that NATO forces had to change into rapid response force.
Speaking at the hand over ceremony held at NATO Joint Command Southeast (JCSOUTHEAST) in Izmir, Admiral Johnson said that Ataturk, the founder of secular and modern Turkish Republic, was a very important soldier and political leader. Admiral Johnson said Ataturk had stated that if a trouble occurred in any part of the world, nobody should stay indifferent to it and rather concern with it. The words of Ataturk were very valid for today, he said adding that today's conditions were just like a trial process for NATO.
He stressed that NATO could not deal with today's threats as being reactionary force, adding that NATO should turn into rapid response force.
NATO Joint Command Southeast (JCSOUTHEAST) Commander Gen. Oktar Ataman, who handed over the mission to Gen. Orhan Yoney, said during the ceremony that the headquarters namely Joint Command Southeast (JCSOUTHEAST) would be closed in 2004 and NATO South Air Forces Command, based in Napoli, Italy would move into the headquarters and continue working here.
General Orhan Yoney, who will start to be working as the commander of the headquarters as of August 30, said that the command would contribute to installation of peace, security and stability until it was closed.
(Öª-AÖ) 18.08.2003