Serbia proposes a military agreement with Turkey Wednesday, September 12, 2007
SERKAN DEMÝRTAÞ ANKARA – Turkish Daily News Serbia proposed the signing of a military and defense cooperation agreement with Turkey yesterday, marking it a first in bilateral ties between the two countries. Serbian Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Zdravko Ponos made the proposal, during a visit to Ankara. Ottoman Turks ruled Serbia for three centuries following the Kosovo War in 1389, creating a long-lasting enmity between Turks and Serbs. The lack of sympathy between the two peoples still exists, especially after the tragedies suffered by Bosnian Muslims in the early ‘90s. Ultranationalist Serb activists were responsible for the massacres where thousands of people were killed. The international community put pressure on Serbia to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The European Union said Monday that a deal was reached with Serbia on Belgrade's further cooperation with the ICTY but Gen. Ratko Mladcic, former Bosnian Serb military chief who has been indicted by the ICTY for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity over atrocities including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, is still a fugitive. Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt and his Serbian counterpart met yesterday. It was the first encounter between the two armed forces since the dissolution of Yugoslavia and foundation of Serbia, diplomatic sources told the Turkish Daily News. There has been no agreement between the two armed forces for future cooperation, said the sources, pointing to Belgrade's eagerness to join NATO. According to the sources, Lt. Gen. Ponos asked for Turkey's backing in their bid. They need Turkey's approval for membership to NATO where unanimity is required. If the commanders of the two armed forces agree on signing a framework agreement, the governments will step in and realize the signing, sources noted. Turkey and Serbia developed bilateral relations in recent years following former Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül's visit to Belgrade in 2005. Turkey supports the United Nations' report on Kosovo that envisages independence for Kosovo. There are around 50,000 ethnic Turks residing in Kosovo. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=83179 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ < a> width=100%> <http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=83179%3Chr> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ See what's new at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170> and Make AOL Your Homepage <http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169>.
