November 26, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 10, 1422

BRUSSELS, Nov 25: Britain will try on Monday to break a deadlock between Turkey and the European Union which is hampering efforts to build a European rapid reaction force for military crisis management.

A senior British official will hold talks in Ankara with Turkish civilian and military policy makers aimed at overcoming Turkey’s objection to granting the EU assured access to NATO assets and planning facilities for European military operations.

The mission by Foreign Office political director Peter Ricketts is billed as the last chance to crack the problem before the 15 EU leaders declare the first elements of their future force operational next month.

“The good news is that the Turkish general staff are in the talks and engaging, whereas they stood aside from previous diplomatic efforts in May,” a senior EU diplomat said.

However, other diplomats say that in the changed strategic situation since September 11, the Turks feel the United States needs their support so badly in Afghanistan that it will not apply pressure to yield to the Europeans.

Diplomats say Turkey, a candidate for EU membership not likely to join for at least a decade, is demanding an effective right of veto over EU crisis management operations in what it regards as its security space — a vague concept.

TURKISH VETO?: Turkish officials say Ankara seeks a guaranteed right to participate in any and all such EU military operations.

The EU says this would be tantamount to letting Turkey veto missions of its 60,000-strong crisis management force, due to be fully operational — ready to be deployed within 60 days in and around Europe — by mid-2003.

Diplomats say Ricketts’ task is to provide Ankara with satisfactory assurances of consultation and involvement in EU security policy without granting the Turks a veto over any European action.—Reuters