NATO ambassadors remain deadlocked over military support for Turkey ahead of a possible war in Iraq.
Alliance officials are continuing discussions throughout the night and will resume formal deliberations Wednesday in Brussels.
Turkey initiated the special talks after France, Germany and Belgium blocked a U.S. request for the alliance to begin planning to help defend Turkey, the only NATO member that borders Iraq. The three countries say sending NATO military equipment to Turkey now is premature while diplomatic efforts continue to try to avert war.
Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul says NATO has an obligation to prepare to defend a member nation in the event of war. He says the NATO debate is not directed at Ankara, but is a diplomatic struggle between supporters and opponents of a war against Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says he hopes NATO will soon resolve the deadlock. He says Turkey's request for military support is "perfectly reasonable."
Mr. Powell says even without NATO agreement, Ankara would receive help from the United States and other supporters in the alliance. Turkey is expected to be a major staging area for any U.S.-led military action against Iraq.
The United States wants NATO to send early warning planes, air defense missiles and anti-chemical and biological warfare units to Turkey to protect it from any potential attacks from Iraq.
Meanwhile, Greece has confirmed that top leaders of all 15 European Union countries have agreed to travel to Brussels Monday for a summit on the Iraqi crisis. Greece currently holds the rotating EU presidency.