Turkey obstructs Eulex mission in Kosovo
Turkey has been obstructing the EU mission in Kosovo by blocking it from making use of NATO’s assets.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, March 04, 2008
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has tried to bypass Ankara, which has caused anger in Turkey.
Eulex would like to use Kfor's assets in Kosovo, but Turkey is using its veto right to prevent the EU access to NATO facilities, with the argument that the EU is not sticking to previous arrangements under which EU members Cyprus and Malta are supposed to be excluded from any EU-NATO cooperation.
The arrangement was due to Turkey's non-recognition of the Greek Cypriot authorities and its support to the northern part of the island, populated by Turks.
Scheffer's initiative to bypass Turkey last week has erupted into a crisis, according to the Turkish Daily News.
In an effort to overcome Turkey's obstruction, Scheffer planned an unofficial meeting between the EU and NATO on Kosovo, but it was cancelled at the very last minute.
The meeting led to harsh reaction from the Turkish side.
"NATO functions on a consensus basis. We have not given our consent to such a meeting. Had it taken place it would have been a first in NATO's history," said a Turkish official.
This however angered Scheffer, who took it personally, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
Scheffer wrote a bitter letter, reflecting his resentment over the cancellation of the meeting.
"The letter is sent to every NATO member but it is obvious, the letter directly targets Turkey. He will receive a proper answer," said an official from the Foreign Ministry, who added that Turkey did not intend to back down from its earlier position.
The issue has also been a source of contention between the Turkish government and the military.
The military advised the government not to take part in the EU mission to Kosovo, which is open to contributions from non-EU members, until the row is over.
The government however fearing Turkey might be excluded from the so-called "International Steering Group" disregarded the military's opinion and informed the EU yesterday that it will contribute to the mission.
