Turkey is to remove Iran, Russia, Greece and Iraq from a group of states it considers a specific threat to its national security, international media reported on August 23. According to the report, the upgraded list is contained in Turkey's security review produced by its own version of the National Security Council (MGK) which is poised to be adopted in October 2010. The list will no longer refer to Iran as a "specific threat", Turkish Hurriyet reported. But the exclusion of Iran is not the only revision to the list, according to Turkish media. Turkey will remove Russia, Iraq and Greece from its countries considered threats to national security in one of the most significant security reviews since the Cold War, according to reports.
The updated security document, hammered out by the MGK, with contributions from the Turkish interior ministry, the foreign ministry, the general staff and the national intelligence organisation, is scheduled for discussion and adoption by the MGK in October.
Bulgaria's eastern neighbour and Iran are active trading partners in the energy sector. Turkey already buys a third of its gas imports from Iran. Ankara also hopes that improved relations will facilitate the sale and transit of Iranian gas to Europe.
Greece, once a "primary threat" to Turkey, is no longer on the list due to growing bilateral economic and political ties that have lessened the military threat of war in the Aegean Sea, the report said.
Iraq was previously considered a potential danger to Turkey based on the existence and operations of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in the north, in addition to internal divisions and instability. However, the new document focuses on co-operation between Turkey and the central Iraqi government on issues including energy and the war against terror.
Finally, Russia, which under communism was deemed a major threat, is cited in the document as sharing a vision with Turkey based on economic co-operation, trade, energy potential and stability in the Caucasus region, media reports said.
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25.08.2010
