Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey’s future role in NATO in increasingly uncertain.

Officials said Turkey, with the second largest army, would not respond to a NATO decision to double its rapid-response force and form a new unit, Middle East Newsline reported. They said Ankara would seek clarifications over the use of the new NATO forces as well the latest threat perception by the alliance.

“This perception is one-sided,” Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said.

On Feb. 5, Yilmaz joined NATO defense ministers for a session that concluded with a decision to more than double the size of the alliance’s rapid-response force. Brussels also decided to organize another rapid-response unit of 5,000 troops.

“We decided that this very high readiness force will consist of a land brigade of around 5,000 troops,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “These will be supported by air, sea and special forces. Altogether, the enhanced NATO response force will count up to around 30,000 troops.”

Officials said Ankara maintained serious differences with other NATO members. They said a major disagreement concerned deployment to stop Russia’s expansion into Ukraine and Baltic states.

“Threats should not be differentiated, and it is not right to set up regional forces by looking at these threats,” Yilmaz said.

In an interview with Turkey’s semi-official Andalou Agency on Feb. 6, Yilmaz said Ankara would need several months to examine the new NATO requirements. He said a key issue was the contribution of countries that were asking for the NATO troops.

“Turkey’s contribution will be clear by June,” Yilmaz said. “There are points that need to be clarified, like which host countries will undertake how much of the costs and how much will be financed by NATO funds. Turkey will do what falls to it after these are straightened out.”

Over the last decade, Turkey has been steadily moving away from European members of NATO. European Union nations have been dismayed by Ankara’s alliance with such adversaries as China, Iran and Russia.

“NATO is successful as a security-maintaining institution, but we cannot say the same thing for the EU,” Yilmaz said.

  As Europe faces mounting threats, Turkey questions NATO role, WorldTribune.com