NATO in crisis after Turkey defence move blocked

NATO was facing one of the worst crises in its 54-year history yesterday after France, Germany and Belgium blocked military planning for steps to defend Turkey in the event of war against Iraq.

Their move prompted Turkey, nervous about possible counterattacks from Iraq, to formally seek consultations for the defence of its territory during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

Turkey’s move was the first explicit invocation of NATO’s Article IV in the alliance’s history. The deadlock over the Turkey defence issue appeared to have put another dent in NATO’s already battered credibility.