Turkey drops Rasmussen objection after Obama guarantees-PM

Sat Apr 4, 2009 3:32pm BST

ANKARA, April 4 (Reuters) - Prime Minster Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey had dropped its opposition to appointing Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next head of NATO after U.S. President Barack Obama answered Ankara's "objections".

Erdogan told Turkish television that Turkey had received "guarantees" from Obama that one of Rasmussen's deputies would be a Turk and that Turkish commanders would be present at the alliance's command.

Obama met Turkish President Abdullah Gul before NATO leaders announced on Saturday they had agreed unanimously to appoint Fogh Rasmussen as the next head of the alliance.



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