DATE=2/6/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-209751

TITLE=TURKEY/NATO (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN

DATELINE=ANKARA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS DURING HIS TALKS WITH NATO SECRETARY

GENERAL JAVIER SOLANA, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER NECMETTIN ERBAKAN

HINTED THAT TURKEY -- AS A FULL NATO MEMBER -- MIGHT USE ITS VETO

POWERS TO BLOCK THE ENTRY OF EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES INTO THE

ALLIANCE.

THAT POSSIBILITY WAS FIRST RAISED BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

TANSU CILLER DURING TALKS LAST WEEK WITH HER EUROPEAN UNION

COUNTERPARTS IN ROME. MRS. CILLER SAID THAT NATO EXPANSION AND

EUROPEAN UNION EXPANSION WERE, IN HER WORDS, "INTERLINKED," AND

THAT ONLY IF TURKEY WERE ADMITTED INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION WOULD

IT ALLOW OTHER COUNTRIES INTO NATO.

MR. ERBAKAN SAID THURSDAY THAT MRS. CILLER'S WORDS REFLECTED

TURKISH GOVERNMENT POLICY AND NOT HER PERSONAL OPINIONS.

TURKEY IS ANGERED BY THE E-U'S REFUSAL TO INCLUDE IT ON A LIST OF

11 POSSIBLE NEW COUNTRIES TO JOIN THE GROUP.

SOME WESTERN DIPLOMATS SAY WASHINGTON, IN PARTICULAR, IS DEEPLY

WORRIED BY ANKARA'S DECISION TO LINK NATO EXPANSION TO EXPANSION

OF THE E-U AT A TIME WHEN THE DEFENSE ALLIANCE IS PREPARING TO

ADMIT NEW MEMBERS FROM THE FORMER SOVIET BLOC. ALTHOUGH FEW

OBSERVERS BELIEVE TURKEY WILL CARRY OUT ITS THREAT, SOME ARGUE

THAT ANKARA'S STANCE COULD SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS OF ENLARGEMENT.

SUCH FEARS, ACCORDING TO SOME SENIOR EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS,

HAVE PROMPTED WASHINGTON TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON E-U GOVERNMENTS

TO ALLOW TURKEY INTO THE GROUP. BUT THE DIPLOMATS SAY THERE ARE

FEW SIGNS THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL ADMIT TURKEY IN THE NEAR

FUTURE.

CONCERNS OVER ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, THE FRAGILITY OF THE

TURKISH ECONOMY AND ITS LARGE POPULATION, E-U OFFICIALS SAY, MAKE

IT UNLIKELY THAT TURKEY WILL ACCEPTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE

ONGOING DISPUTE BETWEEN TURKEY AND GREECE OVER CYPRUS IS ALSO A

MAJOR OBSTACLE TO TURKEY'S ACCESSION, THE OFFICIALS ADD.

THE CYPRUS DISPUTE WAS ANOTHER KEY TOPIC FOR THE

NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL SOLANA DURING HIS TALKS WITH TURKISH

DEFENSE MINISTER, TURHAN TAYHAN, AND OTHER LEADING TURKISH

OFFICIALS MONDAY. DURING A TRIP TO TURKEY LAST YEAR, MR. SOLANA

PROPOSED NATO MEDIATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, BUT ANKARA

INSISTS THAT PROBLEMS WITH ITS FELLOW NATO MEMBER BE RESOLVED

BILATERALLY. (SIGNED)

NEB/AZ/PCF

06-Feb-97 9:28 AM EST (1428 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America