| | | Robertson, in Turkey as part of his round of farewell visits to NATO member states before he stands down at the end of the year, said that NATO ally Turkey had a key role to play in the region, and that his successor, Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, would continue to devote himself to Turkeys defence
The NATO Secretary General described Turkey as an ally that continued to play an extremely important role in defence, and was on the front line in the fight against terrorism and instability and in coping with the problems of the 21st century.
Speaking at a press conference with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, Robertson called on Turkey to provide greater support to NATO efforts to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan, where the International Stability and Assistance Force is now under NATOs direct command.
Later on Thursday, Robertson met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül and Chief of the General Staff Hilmi Özkok. | |