Germany says NATO to agree on Turkey by Saturday

NATO is grappling with one of the worst crises of its 54-year history over plans to protect Turkey ahead of any US-led war on Iraq. France, Germany and Belgium, fierce critics of any rush to war, on Wednesday rejected a compromise. The European trio refused to budge at least until after chief UN inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei brief the Security Council on Friday. The United States and Britain want to persuade the 15-nation Security Council that Iraq is cheating on disarmament.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said earlier it was not appropriate for NATO to decide on military planning to protect Turkey ahead of Friday’s Security Council meeting. But he said Turkey could rely on Germany’s military support in the event of an attack.