[A-List] US rethinks Nato Macedonia mission

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

EUROPE: US rethinks Nato Macedonia mission
By Judy Dempsey in Brussels and Leyla Boulton in Ankara
Financial Times; Nov 15, 2002


The US has unexpectedly reversed its objections to Nato
continuing its military mission in Macedonia in a move that takes
the pressure off the new Turkish government over its refusal to
allow the European Union access to Nato assets.

Diplomats say the move is a snub to France, which wanted the EU
to take over the peacekeeping operation in the unstable Balkan
country from next month, and further undermines Europe's plans to
launch its own military operations.

The decision, to be formally accepted by Nato in the coming days,
comes a week before the alliance's summit in Prague and a month
before the EU's crucial enlargement summit in Copenhagen, where
Turkey and Cyprus top the agenda.

At Copenhagen, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of Turkey's Justice
and Development party, which won the recent elections, had
intended to play two cards against each other in his bid to
persuade EU leaders to give Ankara some commitment on a date to
start accession negotiations.

The first was whether he would accept the new United Nations
proposals to end the 28-year-old division of Cyprus. The second
was whether Turkey, a leading Nato member, would allow a deal
giving the EU access to Nato assets.

Without that deal, called "Berlin Plus", the Europeans have been
blocked for months, either by Greece or Turkey, from taking over
the Nato mission in Macedonia - supposed to be the EU's first
test case for its fledgling European Security and Defence Policy
(ESDP).

Greece and Turkey claimed the EU could use Nato assets to
undermine their respective geographical and security interests in
the Aegean Sea, an area of dispute between both countries.

With frustration mounting among EU countries, France suggested
the Europeans should no longer wait for Berlin Plus and should
simply take over the Macedonia mission.

After all, said French officials, the Nato operation consisted of
only 750 soldiers, whose mandate was to protect EU monitors
overseeing the implementation of a peace accord between the
ethnic Albanian minority and the Macedonian Slav majority.

Washington's unexpected intervention means France's ambitions to
give ESDP a push have been thwarted. "The US, Britain and some
others did not want France to create a precedent of going in
without Nato," said a senior Nato official.

It also means the EU has lost a card over Turkey at Copenhagen.
Since Washington wants Nato to remain a further six months in
Macedonia after its mandate expires on December 15, the EU has
little leverage over Ankara on this issue.

"We cannot threaten Turkey by saying we will do Macedonia without
an accord with Nato because Nato has stolen the show," said a EU
diplomat.

Other diplomats said Washington might have given Turkey a
breathing space over Berlin Plus so Mr Erdogan could focus on
Cyprus.

"Turkey has just had an election and deserves time," said a
senior Nato diplomat.

Solana calls for political will on Cyprus

By Leyla Boulton in Ankara Javier Solana, the European Union's
foreign policy chief, urged Turkey and Greece yesterday to
mobilise maximum political will to reunite the divided island of
Cyprus. On a visit to Ankara, he said that given political will,
a month was ample time for an accord to be reached before
European Union leaders met next month in Copenhagen.

As Sukru Sina Gurel, foreign minister in the outgoing Turkish
government, poured scorn on the United Nations proposal for a
compromise settlement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Mr
Solana said he had been encouraged by his meeting with Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's new leader in all but name.

The former Islamist, who cannot become prime minister until
parliament revises laws banning him from office, has made the EU
bid a priority. Mr Solana said he also hoped Mr Erdogan would
make progress on Cyprus at a meeting with Costas Simitis,the
Greek prime minister, next Monday.

If there is no deal on Cyprus, EU summit leaders will face Greek
pressure to admit along with nine other new members just the
Greek Cypriot south, and exclude the Turkish Cypriot north.

Mr Solana said he was optimistic Turkey could win from the
Copenhagen summit a date for starting accession talks if there
were further Turkish progress on human rights, as well as a deal
on Cyprus and on the European Security and Defence Policy.