BRUSSELS
NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels Tuesday for the first time since the Ukrainian crisis began to develop a long-term strategy to deal with Russia’s military capabilities.
Turkey’s National Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz attended the two-day NATO meeting to represent Turkey.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, ‘’It’s a bit early to say what measures need to be taken in the long run.’’
He also stated that ‘’Russia has shown that it is ready to use force to redraw boundaries and to create new dividing lines in Europe."
Rasmussen said Russia’s annexation of Crimea is illegal and that NATO will continue to see Crimea as part of Ukrainian land. He also requested the full withdrawal of Russian troops.
Turkish-Greek relations
Turkey's Defense Minister Yilmaz said the current atmosphere provided a strong opportunity to solve the problems between Turkey and Greece.
"Once both nations form unbreakable bonds, politicians will feel obliged to satisfy the peoples' demands and to follow them," he told journalists after meeting his Greek counterpart Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Relations between Turkey and Greece have often been marred by disputes related to territorial waters and air space in the Aegean Sea.
"It is high time we transformed Turkey and Greece into a peace and stability island, the Aegean Sea into a sea of peace," Yilmaz said.
aa.com.tr/en
