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NATO leaders split over candidate for Secretary General

04 April 2009 07:51 (UTC +04:00)

After the welcoming, the summit participants listened the famous cellist Anne-Sophie Mutterâ€™s concert, APA correspondent reports from Baden-Baden. The leaders discussed the topical issues during the dinner party.
They discussed critical situation in Afghanistan, warming of relations with Russia, new strategic concept, future of the Alliance, as well as approval of the candidate for the post of NATO Secretary General. The leaders of NATO 28 member countries failed to reach agreement on the candidacy of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The discussion over this issue will be continued on Saturday in Strasbourg, France.
Turkey opposes to the Rasmussenâ€™s candidacy. Before the opening of the summit, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded to nominate other candidate for NATO Secretary General. He opposed to nominate single candidate and said it would be rightful to nominate several candidates. Reminding about the cartoon scandal in Denmark, Erdogan said Rasmussen didnâ€™t take objective position on this issue and discredited himself as a defender of peace in the world. The Turkish Prime Minister said that there is no heed in Denmark to airing of Roj TV, the television of PKK, known as a terrorist organization in the world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the joint press conference with US President Barack Obama that Rasmussen would be the most successful candidate for NATO Secretary General. The United States and the United Kingdom are also supporting the Rasmussenâ€™s candidacy.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is representing his country at the NATO summit.