Word: nato
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Holy Land. But since its founding in 1923, modern Turkey has shied away from any involvement with the Muslim world, once ruled by the Ottomans, instead orienting its foreign policy firmly toward the West. The predominantly Muslim nation is officially secular - it's a longtime U.S. ally and NATO member - and it's currently in a tortuous process of negotiations over eventual accession to the European Union. In the Middle East, until now, Turkey has been largely invisible...
...Ukraine's national gas company, Naftogaz, for allegedly expropriating millions of cubic meters of gas that Russia pumped through Ukraine to European clients. Naftogaz denies the diversion claims and says Moscow is using the gas issue as it has in previous years: to punish Ukraine for seeking membership in NATO and the European Union. (See pictures of Russia celebrating Victory...
...freeze and the assumption of the E.U. presidency by the Czech Republic, an ex-Soviet satellite, may have added to Putin's motivations. "Putin is reminding Europe [that] Russia's a force to be reckoned with, and that its position on things like the Ukraine's desire to join NATO, the E.U.'s eastern expansion and the U.S. missile shield should be taken into consideration more to maintain international cooperation and harmony," Liberti says. "And he probably knows if the gas crisis only lasts two or three weeks, he'll probably wind up getting some of the concessions he wants...
...face hostility on the ground. "The military contribution is important," said the Western official. "Turkey has done a good job as part of military contingents in Lebanon and Afghanistan. Their ability to talk to all sides in the conflict [in Gaza] means they have real credibility, and as a NATO member they have a professional military, so [they] are well placed to be effective...
...Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been touring the region, and plans to take Hamas' cease-fire demands to the U.N. Security Council this week. Ankara, via its relations with Syria, has better access to Hamas than Egypt does. Turkey also has historically close relations with Israel and is a key NATO member, although it has angered Israeli leaders by condemning Israel for maintaining the economic siege of Gaza even while Hamas observed last year's truce. There's emerging consensus in diplomatic discussions about a cease-fire of the need to deploy an international force in Gaza to police...