Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

24 March 2003

IRAQ

• Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday his government was looking to send troops into northern Iraq to stop a possible refugee flow and prevent instability on Turkey’s borders. In a televised address, Erdogan said Turkey and the United States had “reached agreement” that Iraq’s possible break up should be avoided. He did not say whether the United States had reached any agreement that would allow in Turkish troops. In Washington, U.S. President George W. Bush said he expected that Turkish troops would not enter Iraq. “We have got more troops up north, and we’re making it very clear that we expect them not to come into northern Iraq,” Bush said. “They know our policy, and it’s a firm policy.” Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy to the Iraqi opposition, is expected in Ankara in the coming days to discuss the Turkish demand and U.S. concerns, U.S. officials said. (AP 232324 Mar 03)

NATO 

• Following similar German warnings, Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel on Sunday said Belgium too would withdraw its crew members from NATO surveillance planes patrolling Turkish airspace if Turkey moves its troops into Iraq. “The NATO mission should only be used for defensive measures. If they enter Iraq, we are in a totally new situation and we will let NATO know of our position against this,” Michel said on a Sunday morning talk show on Belgian television. In Berlin on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Defense Minister Peter Struck issued a similar threat to pull out of the AWACS crews now working out of the Konya air base in central Turkey. In a statement issued late on Saturday, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said he received “assurances to NATO” from the Turkish government that “no forces have ... entered Iraq.” Michel said he had no evidence so far that Turkish troops had so far crossed the border. (AP 231323 Mar 03)
  
  
• Slovenia strongly endorsed membership in NATO and the European Union in legally binding referendums. Final unofficial results from Sunday’s voting showed 89.61 percent of Slovenes in support of membership into the EU, while 66.02 percent said yes to entry in the military alliance. EU and NATO officials were quick to welcome the outcome of the referendum. “I welcome the vote of confidence Slovenians have given NATO and also their willingness to accept the obligations of membership,” said NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson. Slovenia is due to join both NATO and the EU in 2004. (AP 240044 Mar 03)
  

EU 

• Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said on Sunday it would be “unthinkable” to allow Turkey to join the European Union if Ankara defied U.S. and NATO leaders and sent its forces into northern Iraq. “I think that would be the determining element for refusing them accession to Europe,” he said. “It is unthinkable for Turkey to join Europe if they enter Kurdistan.” (Reuters 231433 GMT Mar 03)
  
  
• European Union divisions over Iraq widened on Friday when three anti-war states set a summit on defence integration without Britain, while London stood by charges that France had wrecked diplomacy in the crisis. As EU leaders wrapped up a second day of tense talks, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt announced plans for France, Germany and Belgium to meet next month to discuss integrating their armed forces more closely. Although German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted no country would be excluded from a common defence policy, Belgian officials said only three were invited to the initial summit. Chancellor Schroeder said the initiative would boost European defence industries and could one day lead to common EU armed forces. Belgium’s Verhofstadt said he hoped to meet President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder in Brussels in Apri to try to start putting our ideas into practice,” adding that Luxembourg might also join in. (Reuters 211736 GMT Mar 03)“

BALKANS 

• The chief UN war crimes prosecutor on Friday hailed Serbia’s slain prime minister but criticized Belgrade’s lack of cooperation with her Netherlands-based tribunal. “Djindjic understood the importance of bringing indicted war criminals to justice,” Del Ponte said in a speech at a NATO-organized seminar on challenges facing Serbia and Montenegro. However, though he had a “bold and praiseworthy role ... Djindjic earned everything but respect and support of the political elite and the public in Serbia,” Del Ponte said. She blamed the authorities for encouraging a “persistently negative” public opinion of the tribunal while top fugitives such as Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic are “still openly celebrated as heroes.” (AP 211809 Mar 03)
  
  
• Explosive devices damaged two police stations in Kosovo in simultaneous attacks, a UN police spokesman said Saturday. No one was injured. The attacks late on Friday targeted Pristina police stations manned by both UN and local police. No motive was known, and police had no suspects, the spokesman added. (AP 221026 Mar 03)