Reuters: Turkey said on Saturday it had dropped its objections to Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen becoming the next head of NATO after U.S. President Barack Obama offered promises that one of Rasmussen's deputies would be a Turk.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, whose country had threatened to veto Rasmussen because of his handling of a 2006 crisis over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper, said Obama had also given Turkey guarantees that Turkish commanders would be present at the alliance's command.
"We explained our reservations on Rasmussen to Obama and he gave us guarantees on our reservations. Then our president accepted Rasmussen's candidacy," Erdogan told Turkish television.
"One of the issues is to have a Turk as one of his (Rasmussen) deputies and to have our commanders in NATO command," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.
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But Turkey dropped its opposition at the last minute after Turkish President Abdullah Gul held private talks with Obama and Rasmussen, a Turkish official said.
"I acted responsibly as the prime minister of Turkey," Erdogan told Turkish television.
"One of the issues we put forward was how to improve relations by being more sensitive over the cartoon issue," Erdogan added. Rasmussen is scheduled to attend an international event on civilisations in Istanbul April 6-7.
Obama praises NATO allies:
