Israel to Get No Data from NATO’s Shield
Hurriyet Daily News Saturday, 18 February 2012
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/131489/israel-to-get-no-data-from-nato%C3%ADs-shield.html

NATO’s chief and Turkish officials take pains to stress that data from the
alliance’s missile system will not be shared with non-members, particularly
Israel.

Data collected by an early-warning NATO radar system in Turkey will not be
transferred to Israel, both Turkish and NATO officials confirmed Feb. 17,
underlining that the missile defense project was designed to protect NATO
territories and populations.

“Data is shared within our allies, among our allies. It’s a defensive system
to protect the populations of NATO allies,� Secretary-General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen told reporters at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoğlu on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Turkey’s
membership in the alliance.

Following insistent questions from Turkish media and lawmakers, Rasmussen
had to repeat several times that “it was a NATO system and the data within
the system will not be shared with third countries.�

However, Davutoğlu was firmer in singling out Israel from “third countries�
when he said, “Especially if it’s about Israel, our view is clear.�

Turkey decided to deploy an U.S. early warning radar system in the eastern
province of Malatya’s Kürecik area after long negotiations with the
alliance. NATO assured Turkey that the data to be collected by the system
would be processed at a NATO base in Ramstein, Germany, where a senior
Turkish commander will also be stationed.

The anti-ballistic missiles designed to shoot down any incoming missile will
be station on Aegis vessels in the eastern Mediterranean until new such
missiles can be deployed in Romania and Poland as part of the program.

Rasmussen said the system would cover all of Turkey’s territory and
population in the event of a ballistic attack.

“We appreciate that Turkey has agreed to host one of the facilities,�
Rasmussen said in his first visit to Turkey after the radar system became
operational Jan. 1, 2012.

Turkey’s relationship with Israel was severely strained in the aftermath of
the Mavi Marmara incident in which nine Turks were killed at the hands of
Israeli commandos in 2010. Turkey blocked Israel’s demand to boost its ties
with NATO.

“Turkey is a valuable ally and Israel is a valuable partner,� Rasmussen
said, adding that NATO was willing to see a speedy reconciliation between
its ally and partner. Further cooperation of NATO with Israel was not on the
agenda of yesterday’s talks, a diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News.
No NATO role in Syria

Another topic discussed during Rasmussen’s visit was developments regarding
the Arab Spring, with Syria being especially high on the agenda.

Rasmussen said NATO was not planning on playing any role in Syria even
though alliance-member Turkey’s shared border with the Arab republic meant
the body was closely monitoring developments in the strife-torn country.

During an interview with Reuters on Feb. 17, the NATO chief said the
alliance had no intention of intervening in Syria even in the event of a
U.N. mandate to protect civilians and called on regional countries to find a
way to deal with the problem.

Rasmussen also rejected the possibility of providing logistical support for
proposed humanitarian corridors to ferry relief to towns and cities bearing
the brunt of President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on pro-democracy
protesters. “We have no intention whatsoever of intervening in Syria,�
Rasmussen said.

Praising Turkey’s role

Rasmussen also praised the role Turkey was playing in its region. “Turkey
does more than just share our security. Your expertise in the Middle East
and North Africa are valuable. They benefit the whole of NATO,� he said.

“That’s particularly important now across the region. The people are rising
up and demanding rights the same rights as we NATO citizens have long
enjoyed,� Rasmussen said, adding that as the Arab Spring continued to
unfold, Turkey’s leadership would be crucial.

In separate messages on the commemoration of the 60th anniversary, President
Abdullah Gül said Turkey had become the pivotal country of NATO while Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan said both Turkey and NATO had become more
dependent on each other in terms of security needs.

Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Athens Kerim Uras visited the Greek Foreign
Ministry on Feb. 17 to convey Ankara’s disturbance over remarks by the Greek
foreign minister that NATO had failed to prevent Turkish threats to Greece,
diplomatic sources told the Daily News.

Saturday, 18 February 2012