BERLIN (AA) - ''Turkey exerts every kind of efforts to improve cooperation between NATO and the European Union (EU),'' Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said on Tuesday.
Gonul delivered a speech at the 3rd European Defense Congress held in Berlin.
In his speech titled, ''Cooperation between NATO and EU Forces and Integration'', Gonul said there should be more cooperation between NATO and the EU because of the changing conditions and threats in the world.
Gonul said cooperation between NATO and the EU was necessary to have a stronger struggle against the daily threats and risks in the world.
Gonul said, ''the understanding of defense should change. We should win peace, not only wars.''
Listing terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, cooperation between terrorists and organized crimes and regional crises among daily threats, Gonul said there were seven non-EU member NATO countries, stating that Turkey has been a reliable ally of NATO for a long time. He said Turkey wanted to be a member of the EU as a natural consequence of this.
-IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP-
Gonul said Turkey's EU membership was not only important for Turkey but also for Europe, and noted that, ''Turkey, with its strong army, has always been an element of peace and stability in its region. Turkey played an important role within NATO in Cold War period.''
Stating that Turkish troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina in line with Berlin (+) and Nice agreements, would be assigned within the body of the EU after the end of NATO command, Gonul said, ''Turkey has contributed a lot to the European Security and Defense Policy and will exert every necessary effort for the success of this mission.''
(AY-AÖ)
2004-11-23