Greece is not planning to exchange two soldiers held by Turkey after illegally entering the country with eight Turkish soldiers who seek asylum in Greece, the Greek junior foreign minister said Saturday.

&quot;This is pure fantasy. We are not at war with Turkey to conduct an exchange of prisoners,&quot; junior minister Yiorgos Katrougalos told reporters on Saturday, adding that such &quot;spy stories&quot; originated in Turkish media reports.

&quot;This is not an unusual episode. Such incidents occur on the border,&quot; he said, according to state agency ANA.

Two Greek soldiers were arrested by a Turkish border patrol inside Turkish territory on Thursday.&nbsp;

The Greek army said the pair, a lieutenant and a sergeant, lost their way in poor weather while patrolling the area around the Evros river that separates the two countries.

ANA said the soldiers, who are held at Edirne, will be put on trial on Monday.

Athens insists that they will be tried for illegal entry in a restricted area, but Turkish state agency Anadolu has reported that attempted military espionage is among the charges.

Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Tzanakopoulos on Friday said that the case was one of &quot;illegal entry&quot; and said Athens expected the &quot;imminent return&quot; of the two Greek officers.

The incident risks exacerbating tensions between Ankara and Athens, who have come to the brink of war on several occasions in past decades, despite being NATO allies since 1952.

Turkish and Greek vessels have in the last weeks twice collided off Aegean islets that have been a historic flashpoint in a long-running demarcation dispute.

Another festering sore is Cyprus, where the northern portion of the island is still occupied by Turkish troops following the 1974 invasion in response to an Athens-inspired coup aimed at uniting it with Greece.

Tensions over Cyprus are high as Turkey vows to block any moves by the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government to exploit oil reserves off the Mediterranean island.

But of most immediate concern to Ankara is the presence in Greece of suspects wanted by Turkey on charges linked to the 2016 failed army coup.&nbsp;

The Athens authorities have failed to hand over eight Turkish troops who escaped to Greece by helicopter on the night of the putsch, saying they would not have a fair trial at home.

Two Greek soldiers were arrested by a Turkish border patrol inside Turkish territory on Thursday

Greece is not planning to exchange two soldiers held by Turkey after illegally entering the country with eight Turkish soldiers who seek asylum in Greece, the Greek junior foreign minister said Saturday. "This is pure fantasy. We are not at war with Turkey to conduct an exchange of prisoners," junior minister Yiorgos Katrougalos told reporters on Saturday, adding that such "spy stories" originated in Turkish media reports. "This is not an unusual episode. Such incidents occur on the border," he said, according to state agency ANA. Two Greek soldiers were arrested by a Turkish border patrol inside Turkish territory on Thursday. The Greek army said the pair, a lieutenant and a sergeant, lost their way in poor weather while patrolling the area around the Evros river that separates the two countries. ANA said the soldiers, who are held at Edirne, will be put on trial on Monday. Athens insists that they will be tried for illegal entry in a restricted area, but Turkish state agency Anadolu has reported that attempted military espionage is among the charges. Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Tzanakopoulos on Friday said that the case was one of "illegal entry" and said Athens expected the "imminent return" of the two Greek officers. The incident risks exacerbating tensions between Ankara and Athens, who have come to the brink of war on several occasions in past decades, despite being NATO allies since 1952. Turkish and Greek vessels have in the last weeks twice collided off Aegean islets that have been a historic flashpoint in a long-running demarcation dispute. Another festering sore is Cyprus, where the northern portion of the island is still occupied by Turkish troops following the 1974 invasion in response to an Athens-inspired coup aimed at uniting it with Greece. Tensions over Cyprus are high as Turkey vows to block any moves by the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government to exploit oil reserves off the Mediterranean island. But of most immediate concern to Ankara is the presence in Greece of suspects wanted by Turkey on charges linked to the 2016 failed army coup. The Athens authorities have failed to hand over eight Turkish troops who escaped to Greece by helicopter on the night of the putsch, saying they would not have a fair trial at home.

Greece not planning soldier exchange with Turkey

India`s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale will participate in Kabul Process Conference in Afghanistan this week.

About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan.

Earlier on February 26, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that their government will propose an inclusive proposal to Pakistan and the Taliban during the Kabul Process conference.

Ghani will highlight the strong commitment of the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference.

The Kabul government will call on countries in the region to reach a consensus to accept Afghan stability and work on achieving it.

About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan

India`s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale will participate in Kabul Process Conference in Afghanistan this week. About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan. Earlier on February 26, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that their government will propose an inclusive proposal to Pakistan and the Taliban during the Kabul Process conference. Ghani will highlight the strong commitment of the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference. The Kabul government will call on countries in the region to reach a consensus to accept Afghan stability and work on achieving it.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to participate in Kabul Process Conference

Prime Minister Theresa May made her case on Saturday for a new security treaty with the EU from next year, winning support from EU and US&nbsp;officials who agreed the issue was too important to risk getting subsumed in broader Brexit negotiations.

In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact &quot;effective from 2019&quot;, the year Britain is due to leave the bloc.

May`s government is using a series of speeches to set out its vision for Britain outside the European Union. But the loudest applause during her appearance came when the event`s organiser, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, said: &quot;Things would be so much easier if you stayed.&quot;

But May was adamant: &quot;We are leaving the EU and there is no question of a second referendum or going back, and I think that`s important,&quot; she told the Munich Security Conference.&nbsp;

&quot;The partnership that we need to create is one that offers UK and EU way to combine our efforts to greatest effect where this is in our shared interest,&quot; May said of her security plan.

Britain is one of the top three users of data from European Union police agency Europol. But as it leaves the EU, there is a risk that it will be shut out of this cooperation, becoming more vulnerable to Islamist militants, officials say.&nbsp; 
Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU`s chief executive, welcomed a &quot;security alliance&quot; with Britain, adding that the issue should be separated from the rest of the Brexit debate.&nbsp;

Britain, along with France, is Europe`s biggest military power and leads two European Union military missions while sending troops to Estonia under a NATO flag.

With a host of issues still unresolved and infighting over Brexit dividing May`s government just over a year before Britain is due to leave, security is one of London`s biggest bargaining chips as it seeks a new deal with Brussels.

Britain`s interior minister last year told the EU it could &quot;take our information with us&quot; if it left the bloc without a deal on security.

May emphasised she was committed to European security, warned against competition between Britain and the rest of Europe and said that both sides should do &quot;whatever is most practical and pragmatic in ensuring our collective security.&quot;

Juncker said security should not be conflated with &quot;other questions relating to Brexit,&quot; also quashing any British hopes that a security treaty might be a way into a free-trade deal.

&quot;I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to,&quot; he said.

Veiled threat

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed close security cooperation between Britain and the EU after Brexit, while Stoltenberg`s predecessor at the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Reuters May`s was a strong speech.

&quot;I think that is what we should aim for, but any treaty is very time-consuming. The timeline is unrealistic,&quot; Fogh Rasmussen said.

A senior US&nbsp;official said: &quot;We know the goal, but I don`t know if this is the right vehicle.&quot;

But May`s call to set aside &quot;rigid institutional structures&quot; to enable a quick agreement on security was less well received.

&quot;What she meant was not specified and sounded like a veiled threat,&quot; said EU lawmaker Marietje Schaake, a Dutch centrist.

One senior EU official in Munich said that May would need to submit a formal negotiating paper to detail her ideas and then allow EU and British negotiators to move forward.

But the EU official said May`s proposal was essentially not new and could only come after Britain and the EU had agreed a divorce settlement. &quot;The European Union also wants a new security arrangement with Britain, but it can`t be done before we agree on other issues,&quot; the official said.

While the status of the Irish border and citizens rights were broadly settled in December, EU negotiators say they are now waiting for Britain to say what kind of future trade relationship it wants.

Agreement on that front would allow EU leaders to endorse the plan at a Brussels summit on March 22-23 and move on to a special transition arrangement ending in December 2020.

In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, Theresa May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact 'effective from 2019', the year Britain is due to leave the bloc

Prime Minister Theresa May made her case on Saturday for a new security treaty with the EU from next year, winning support from EU and US officials who agreed the issue was too important to risk getting subsumed in broader Brexit negotiations. In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact "effective from 2019", the year Britain is due to leave the bloc. May`s government is using a series of speeches to set out its vision for Britain outside the European Union. But the loudest applause during her appearance came when the event`s organiser, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, said: "Things would be so much easier if you stayed." But May was adamant: "We are leaving the EU and there is no question of a second referendum or going back, and I think that`s important," she told the Munich Security Conference. "The partnership that we need to create is one that offers UK and EU way to combine our efforts to greatest effect where this is in our shared interest," May said of her security plan. Britain is one of the top three users of data from European Union police agency Europol. But as it leaves the EU, there is a risk that it will be shut out of this cooperation, becoming more vulnerable to Islamist militants, officials say. Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU`s chief executive, welcomed a "security alliance" with Britain, adding that the issue should be separated from the rest of the Brexit debate. Britain, along with France, is Europe`s biggest military power and leads two European Union military missions while sending troops to Estonia under a NATO flag. With a host of issues still unresolved and infighting over Brexit dividing May`s government just over a year before Britain is due to leave, security is one of London`s biggest bargaining chips as it seeks a new deal with Brussels. Britain`s interior minister last year told the EU it could "take our information with us" if it left the bloc without a deal on security. May emphasised she was committed to European security, warned against competition between Britain and the rest of Europe and said that both sides should do "whatever is most practical and pragmatic in ensuring our collective security." Juncker said security should not be conflated with "other questions relating to Brexit," also quashing any British hopes that a security treaty might be a way into a free-trade deal. "I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to," he said. Veiled threat NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed close security cooperation between Britain and the EU after Brexit, while Stoltenberg`s predecessor at the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Reuters May`s was a strong speech. "I think that is what we should aim for, but any treaty is very time-consuming. The timeline is unrealistic," Fogh Rasmussen said. A senior US official said: "We know the goal, but I don`t know if this is the right vehicle." But May`s call to set aside "rigid institutional structures" to enable a quick agreement on security was less well received. "What she meant was not specified and sounded like a veiled threat," said EU lawmaker Marietje Schaake, a Dutch centrist. One senior EU official in Munich said that May would need to submit a formal negotiating paper to detail her ideas and then allow EU and British negotiators to move forward. But the EU official said May`s proposal was essentially not new and could only come after Britain and the EU had agreed a divorce settlement. "The European Union also wants a new security arrangement with Britain, but it can`t be done before we agree on other issues," the official said. While the status of the Irish border and citizens rights were broadly settled in December, EU negotiators say they are now waiting for Britain to say what kind of future trade relationship it wants. Agreement on that front would allow EU leaders to endorse the plan at a Brussels summit on March 22-23 and move on to a special transition arrangement ending in December 2020.

Britain's May wins backing for EU security pact, timing unclear

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces &quot;difficult&quot; talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour.

Late last month, Ankara began a cross-border offensive in northwestern Syria against what it calls a &quot;terrorist&quot; Kurdish militia supported and armed by Washington whose troops are back local militias against the Islamic State group (IS).

The Turkish operation further raised tensions between the two countries, whose relations were already complicated.

&quot;We are urging them to show restraint in their operations in Afrin, and to show restraint further along the line across the border in northern Syria,&quot; a senior US State Department official told reporters ahead of Tillerson&#39;s tour that begins Sunday and will also take him to Cairo, Kuwait City, Amman and Beirut.

&quot;You start with asking for restraint and look for ways that you can help bring it to an end as quickly as possible,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the US to pull its troops back from Syria&#39;s Manbij, which is east of Afrin.

&quot;Obviously we need to work with the Turks to figure out more about what their long-term intentions are,&quot; and to try to find a way &quot;to address their legitimate security concerns while, at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties and above all else keeping everything focused on the defeat-ISIS fight, which is not over,&quot; the official said.&nbsp;

It will be &quot;a difficult conversation,&quot; the official continued, referring to the &quot;very hot&quot; Turkish rhetoric on the subject.

Tillerson&#39;s visit is also expected to touch on other sensitive topics.

These include human rights and arrests that the US called &quot;arbitrary&quot; following a state of emergency declared after an attempted coup in 2016.&nbsp;

Turkey last year detained local employees of American diplomatic missions in the country, and arrested Taner Kilic, the president of Amnesty International in Turkey.

&quot;There&#39;s no pulling punches on that,&quot; a second senior State Department official said.

&quot;We&#39;ve been very public in our call to the Turks to let these folks go, and we&#39;ve been very firm in our private conversations with them as well.&quot;

He conceded: &quot;The Turks are angry and this is a difficult time to do business.&quot;

But Washington believes the two countries share fundamental underlying interests including Syria&#39;s stability, the defeat of IS, and countering the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) which both Ankara and the West consider terrorists.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces "difficult" talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces "difficult" talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour. Late last month, Ankara began a cross-border offensive in northwestern Syria against what it calls a "terrorist" Kurdish militia supported and armed by Washington whose troops are back local militias against the Islamic State group (IS). The Turkish operation further raised tensions between the two countries, whose relations were already complicated. "We are urging them to show restraint in their operations in Afrin, and to show restraint further along the line across the border in northern Syria," a senior US State Department official told reporters ahead of Tillerson's tour that begins Sunday and will also take him to Cairo, Kuwait City, Amman and Beirut. "You start with asking for restraint and look for ways that you can help bring it to an end as quickly as possible," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the US to pull its troops back from Syria's Manbij, which is east of Afrin. "Obviously we need to work with the Turks to figure out more about what their long-term intentions are," and to try to find a way "to address their legitimate security concerns while, at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties and above all else keeping everything focused on the defeat-ISIS fight, which is not over," the official said. It will be "a difficult conversation," the official continued, referring to the "very hot" Turkish rhetoric on the subject. Tillerson's visit is also expected to touch on other sensitive topics. These include human rights and arrests that the US called "arbitrary" following a state of emergency declared after an attempted coup in 2016. Turkey last year detained local employees of American diplomatic missions in the country, and arrested Taner Kilic, the president of Amnesty International in Turkey. "There's no pulling punches on that," a second senior State Department official said. "We've been very public in our call to the Turks to let these folks go, and we've been very firm in our private conversations with them as well." He conceded: "The Turks are angry and this is a difficult time to do business." But Washington believes the two countries share fundamental underlying interests including Syria's stability, the defeat of IS, and countering the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which both Ankara and the West consider terrorists.

Tough Turkey talks await Tillerson: Officials

Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row.

According to the law enforcement data, 283 buses brought the protesters to the demonstration site. The demonstration&rsquo;s organizers said that over a million people had been a part of&nbsp;the rally up till Sunday night.

The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece&rsquo;s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union.

Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country.

Greece objects to Macedonia&rsquo;s name because it has its own region called Macedonia, and argues that its neighbour&rsquo;s use of the name, along with contentious articles in its constitution, imply territorial claims over Greek land.

According to media reports, the police officials are trying to get the situation in control between the far-right and far-left protesters after the far-right demonstrators reportedly attempted to attack anarchists with stones, flag poles, and stun grenades.

Reports further said that the police had to resort to using tear gas against demonstrators.

Protesters hoisted a giant Greek flag over the demonstration with a crane on Sunday. They held banners reading &ldquo;Hands off Macedonia!&rdquo; and chanted the national anthem.

Greece considers the name &quot;Macedonia&quot; to be part of its own cultural heritage, as it is also the name of a historic Greek province that was the core of Alexander the Great&#39;s ancient empire.

Athens thus seeks guarantees that the use of the name by its neighbour implies no claim to parts of its own territory.

Because of Greece&#39;s objections, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

To break the deadlock, longterm UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has now proposed several alternative names in Macedonian, including &quot;Republika Nova Makedonija&quot; or the &quot;Republic of New Macedonia&quot;.

Tsipras&#39; government says it is ready to accept a composite name that will establish a clear distinction from Greek Macedonia.

A resolution of the issue is needed before Macedonia can join NATO or the EU.

Greece in 2008 threatened to veto Macedonia&#39;s NATO entry. Skopje subsequently took the issue to the International Court of Justice, which said Athens had been wrong to block its land-locked neighbour&#39;s aspirations.

 
&nbsp;

The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union

Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row. According to the law enforcement data, 283 buses brought the protesters to the demonstration site. The demonstration’s organizers said that over a million people had been a part of the rally up till Sunday night. The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union. Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country. Greece objects to Macedonia’s name because it has its own region called Macedonia, and argues that its neighbour’s use of the name, along with contentious articles in its constitution, imply territorial claims over Greek land. According to media reports, the police officials are trying to get the situation in control between the far-right and far-left protesters after the far-right demonstrators reportedly attempted to attack anarchists with stones, flag poles, and stun grenades. Reports further said that the police had to resort to using tear gas against demonstrators. Protesters hoisted a giant Greek flag over the demonstration with a crane on Sunday. They held banners reading “Hands off Macedonia!” and chanted the national anthem. Greece considers the name "Macedonia" to be part of its own cultural heritage, as it is also the name of a historic Greek province that was the core of Alexander the Great's ancient empire. Athens thus seeks guarantees that the use of the name by its neighbour implies no claim to parts of its own territory. Because of Greece's objections, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). To break the deadlock, longterm UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has now proposed several alternative names in Macedonian, including "Republika Nova Makedonija" or the "Republic of New Macedonia". Tsipras' government says it is ready to accept a composite name that will establish a clear distinction from Greek Macedonia. A resolution of the issue is needed before Macedonia can join NATO or the EU. Greece in 2008 threatened to veto Macedonia's NATO entry. Skopje subsequently took the issue to the International Court of Justice, which said Athens had been wrong to block its land-locked neighbour's aspirations.

Millions of Greeks rally over Macedonia name row

Europe must lead the way in pushing for nuclear disarmament after Washington proposed upgrading and expanding the United States` nuclear arsenal, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday.

&quot;As in the times of the Cold War, we in Europe are especially endangered&quot; by &quot;a renewed nuclear arms race&quot;, Gabriel said.

&quot;That is why precisely we in Europe must begin new initiatives for arms control and disarmament.&quot;

Gabriel was responding to a so-called Nuclear Posture Review released Friday by the Pentagon that details the US military`s vision of nuclear threats and its response in the coming decades.

Upgrading the US arsenal and complementing massive &quot;strategic&quot; bombs with smaller &quot;tactical&quot; weapons was &quot;aimed at making use of nuclear weapons less likely&quot;, President Donald Trump said in a statement.

American nuclear planners believe potential adversaries abroad, especially Russia, assume America would never use its existing arsenal as the effects would be too devastating and provoke globally catastrophic retaliation.

&quot;The US and NATO require a wider range of credible low-yield nuclear options&quot; to deter Russia from using its own smaller nuclear weapons, Greg Weaver, the deputy director of strategic capabilities for the military`s Joint Staff, told reporters Friday.

Gabriel acknowledged that Russia`s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine had led to a &quot;dramatic loss of trust towards Russia&quot; in Europe as well as Washington, and that &quot;signs that Russia is re-arming, not only conventionally but with nuclear weapons, are obvious&quot;.

But instead of developing new weapons, Germany`s top diplomat called for &quot;existing arms control treaties to be upheld unconditionally&quot;.

Berlin would press &quot;with its allies and partners&quot; for further worldwide disarmament, he said.

&quot;Our long-term aim must continue to be a world without nuclear weapons,&quot; Gabriel continued -- the stated aim of US nuclear policy under former president Barack Obama.

Historically a close US ally and key NATO member, nuclear weapons were a divisive issue in Germany`s Cold War politics.

Berlin does not have its own arsenal, but the Pentagon maintained nuclear warheads in Germany as part of a gigantic military presence designed to deter Soviet invasion of western Europe.

The issue has been rediscovered by frontline politicians in the wake of Trump`s election.

Martin Schulz, a failed challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in elections last September, called during the campaign for remaining American bombs to be removed from Germany.

The German response to the US nuclear review comes on the heels of condemnations from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.

'As in the times of the Cold War, we in Europe are especially endangered' by 'a renewed nuclear arms race', Sigmar Gabriel said

Europe must lead the way in pushing for nuclear disarmament after Washington proposed upgrading and expanding the United States` nuclear arsenal, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday. "As in the times of the Cold War, we in Europe are especially endangered" by "a renewed nuclear arms race", Gabriel said. "That is why precisely we in Europe must begin new initiatives for arms control and disarmament." Gabriel was responding to a so-called Nuclear Posture Review released Friday by the Pentagon that details the US military`s vision of nuclear threats and its response in the coming decades. Upgrading the US arsenal and complementing massive "strategic" bombs with smaller "tactical" weapons was "aimed at making use of nuclear weapons less likely", President Donald Trump said in a statement. American nuclear planners believe potential adversaries abroad, especially Russia, assume America would never use its existing arsenal as the effects would be too devastating and provoke globally catastrophic retaliation. "The US and NATO require a wider range of credible low-yield nuclear options" to deter Russia from using its own smaller nuclear weapons, Greg Weaver, the deputy director of strategic capabilities for the military`s Joint Staff, told reporters Friday. Gabriel acknowledged that Russia`s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine had led to a "dramatic loss of trust towards Russia" in Europe as well as Washington, and that "signs that Russia is re-arming, not only conventionally but with nuclear weapons, are obvious". But instead of developing new weapons, Germany`s top diplomat called for "existing arms control treaties to be upheld unconditionally". Berlin would press "with its allies and partners" for further worldwide disarmament, he said. "Our long-term aim must continue to be a world without nuclear weapons," Gabriel continued -- the stated aim of US nuclear policy under former president Barack Obama. Historically a close US ally and key NATO member, nuclear weapons were a divisive issue in Germany`s Cold War politics. Berlin does not have its own arsenal, but the Pentagon maintained nuclear warheads in Germany as part of a gigantic military presence designed to deter Soviet invasion of western Europe. The issue has been rediscovered by frontline politicians in the wake of Trump`s election. Martin Schulz, a failed challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in elections last September, called during the campaign for remaining American bombs to be removed from Germany. The German response to the US nuclear review comes on the heels of condemnations from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.

Europe must brake mounting nuclear arms race: Germany

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members.

The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies.

It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9.

Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO.

The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday.

GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions.

Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX.

A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO.

Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications.&nbsp;

Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing.

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

&nbsp;

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members. The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies. It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9. Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO. The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday. GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions. Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX. A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO. Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications. Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing. The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

SpaceX rocket launches Luxembourg satellite for NATO

Finland&#39;s moderate President Sauli Niinisto cruised to a rare first-round election win on Sunday as his delicate balancing of ties with neighbour Russia and the US-led NATO military alliance resonated with voters.

The 69-year-old Niinisto, known for cultivating good relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, won his second six-year term with an overwhelming 62.7 percent of the vote. His closest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens of Finland, secured just 12.4 percent.

&quot;I am very surprised at this kind of support. I must think hard how to be worthy of it,&quot; Niinisto told reporters.

&quot;I have no intention of making changes just for the sake of making changes. We will follow very closely what is happening outside of Finland, globally, and if needed, then we will surely react.&quot;

Pro-EU Niinisto became the first candidate to win a first round victory since the electoral system was changed to a direct popular vote in 1994.

Eurosceptic politicians, Laura Huhtasaari from the nationalist Finns Party and independent Paavo Vayrynen, won 6.9 percent and 6.2 percent of votes, respectively. Turnout was 69.9 percent.

During his first term, Niinisto was instrumental in maintaining relations with Moscow, despite the country backing western economic sanctions against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Finland, which shares an 833-mile (1,340 km) border and a difficult history with Russia, has also developed closer ties with NATO but stopped short of full membership in line with a tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia.

The president is in charge of foreign and defence policy together with the government, but otherwise the post has become largely ceremonial in the past few decades.

Niinisto has appeared as a low-profile middle-man between East and West, in sharp contrast to his Baltic counterparts who regularly speak out against Moscow.

He was the first Western leader to meet Putin following the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, and he has also actively pushed for an air safety agreement in the Baltic region.

Father of the nation

Niinisto hopes for the EU to strengthen its defence cooperation, and declines to lock in a stance on Finland&#39;s future NATO membership.

&quot;I think there is no reason to seek a (NATO) membership as long as circumstances are as they are now,&quot; Niinisto said on Sunday. &quot;But if there are crucial changes in the environment, then we might be in a different situation.&quot;

Niinisto originally belonged to the co-ruling, centre-right National Coalition Party but campaigned this time around as an independent.

&quot;When ties between European Union and Russia are tense, people are satisfied that Niinisto has been able to maintain pragmatic and functional dialogue with Russia,&quot; said Markku Jokisipila, director at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku.

Apart from his long service in politics, Niinisto also taps into sympathy from many Finns because of a series of personal dramas.

A lawyer by training, he was finance minister in the 1990s, becoming known for his government&#39;s austerity measures following Finland&#39;s recession, as well as the decision to join the euro area.

He lost his first wife in a car accident in 1995. He was in Thailand during the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and survived by climbing up an electricity pole with his son.

He expects a baby with his wife Jenni Haukio, 40.

&quot;His habits reflect his experience and ordeal, and that combined with his very moderate policy statements makes him a kind of &#39;father of a nation&#39; figure,&quot; said Juho Rahkonen, Research Manager at pollster Taloustutkimus.

The result underlined how presidential candidates are to a large extent given priority over their parties, analysts said.

Matti Vanhanen, a candidate from Prime Minister Juha Sipila&#39;s Centre Party, received only 4.1 percent of votes, while the biggest opposition party Social Democrats&#39; candidate, Tuula Haatainen, won just 3.3 percent.

While around 20 percent of Finns back the idea of joining NATO, the only pro-NATO candidate, Nils Torvalds from the Swedish People&#39;s Party, won only 1.5 percent of votes.

Sauli Niinisto won his second six-year term with an overwhelming 62.7 percent of the vote

Finland's moderate President Sauli Niinisto cruised to a rare first-round election win on Sunday as his delicate balancing of ties with neighbour Russia and the US-led NATO military alliance resonated with voters. The 69-year-old Niinisto, known for cultivating good relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, won his second six-year term with an overwhelming 62.7 percent of the vote. His closest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens of Finland, secured just 12.4 percent. "I am very surprised at this kind of support. I must think hard how to be worthy of it," Niinisto told reporters. "I have no intention of making changes just for the sake of making changes. We will follow very closely what is happening outside of Finland, globally, and if needed, then we will surely react." Pro-EU Niinisto became the first candidate to win a first round victory since the electoral system was changed to a direct popular vote in 1994. Eurosceptic politicians, Laura Huhtasaari from the nationalist Finns Party and independent Paavo Vayrynen, won 6.9 percent and 6.2 percent of votes, respectively. Turnout was 69.9 percent. During his first term, Niinisto was instrumental in maintaining relations with Moscow, despite the country backing western economic sanctions against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Finland, which shares an 833-mile (1,340 km) border and a difficult history with Russia, has also developed closer ties with NATO but stopped short of full membership in line with a tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia. The president is in charge of foreign and defence policy together with the government, but otherwise the post has become largely ceremonial in the past few decades. Niinisto has appeared as a low-profile middle-man between East and West, in sharp contrast to his Baltic counterparts who regularly speak out against Moscow. He was the first Western leader to meet Putin following the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, and he has also actively pushed for an air safety agreement in the Baltic region. Father of the nation Niinisto hopes for the EU to strengthen its defence cooperation, and declines to lock in a stance on Finland's future NATO membership. "I think there is no reason to seek a (NATO) membership as long as circumstances are as they are now," Niinisto said on Sunday. "But if there are crucial changes in the environment, then we might be in a different situation." Niinisto originally belonged to the co-ruling, centre-right National Coalition Party but campaigned this time around as an independent. "When ties between European Union and Russia are tense, people are satisfied that Niinisto has been able to maintain pragmatic and functional dialogue with Russia," said Markku Jokisipila, director at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku. Apart from his long service in politics, Niinisto also taps into sympathy from many Finns because of a series of personal dramas. A lawyer by training, he was finance minister in the 1990s, becoming known for his government's austerity measures following Finland's recession, as well as the decision to join the euro area. He lost his first wife in a car accident in 1995. He was in Thailand during the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and survived by climbing up an electricity pole with his son. He expects a baby with his wife Jenni Haukio, 40. "His habits reflect his experience and ordeal, and that combined with his very moderate policy statements makes him a kind of 'father of a nation' figure," said Juho Rahkonen, Research Manager at pollster Taloustutkimus. The result underlined how presidential candidates are to a large extent given priority over their parties, analysts said. Matti Vanhanen, a candidate from Prime Minister Juha Sipila's Centre Party, received only 4.1 percent of votes, while the biggest opposition party Social Democrats' candidate, Tuula Haatainen, won just 3.3 percent. While around 20 percent of Finns back the idea of joining NATO, the only pro-NATO candidate, Nils Torvalds from the Swedish People's Party, won only 1.5 percent of votes.

Finns, worried by Russia, hand cautious president huge election win

Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday hosts his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks as Berlin and Ankara try to end a festering crisis.

Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey&#39;s 2016 failed coup and subsequent crackdown which saw tens of thousands arrested, including several German or dual citizens.

Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish community, last year advised its investors and holiday-makers to avoid Turkey and urged a cut in EU funding linked to its stalled membership talks.

However, Ankara has in recent weeks sent a flurry of signals that it wants a return to warmer relations with the EU and Germany, at a time it is on tense terms with the United States, Israel and some Gulf states.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having declared last month that Turkey &quot;must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends&quot;, met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Friday.

Adding a personal touch to Saturday&#39;s talks, Gabriel has invited Turkey&#39;s foreign minister to his home town of Goslar, after the two had meet in November in Cavusoglu`s southern home region of Antalya.

Following press statements around 1000 GMT, Gabriel will take his guest on a stroll through the heritage-listed medieval old town of Goslar, situated near Brunswick on the slopes of the Harz mountains.

Cavusoglu in a newspaper commentary Friday urged an end to the &quot;megaphone diplomacy&quot; between Turkey and Germany and a &quot;fresh start&quot; based on friendship and cooperation between &quot;equal partners&quot;.

Germany also sought a &quot;step by step&quot; rapprochement and said Saturday&#39;s talks would cover a full range of topics including the &quot;difficult&quot; ones, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.The main hurdle now is the detention of Die Welt daily&#39;s German-Turkish correspondent Deniz Yucel on terror charges since last February, and of another six Germans Berlin says are jailed for &quot;political reasons&quot;.

Turkey has in recent weeks released several of the Germans whom Gabriel has labelled &quot;hostages&quot;, among them journalist Mesale Tolu.

Hopes grew that Yucel&#39;s case too could be resolved after the Turkish government this week addressed it for the first time in 10 months with a submission to the constitutional court, which could soon rule on whether to release him from pre-trial detention.

Cavusoglu stressed the independence of Turkish courts but pledged that &quot;we`re doing everything in our political power to speed up the judicial process&quot;.

The bilateral crisis of recent years has been fuelled by other disputes -- over a German TV comic harshly lampooning Erdogan, a 2016 German parliamentary resolution on the Armenian genocide, and Turkey denying military base visits to German MPs.

Ankara has accused Berlin of failing to pursue followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it blames for the 2016 coup attempt, and of failing to crack down on Kurdish militants.

When Germany last year repeatedly denied Turkish politicians&#39;&nbsp;requests to campaign for votes among the Turkish-German community, Ankara accused the government of &quot;Nazi methods&quot;.

But Gabriel recently suggested to news weekly Der Spiegel that Western countries should tone down lecturing Erdogan&#39;s Turkey on democratic values because it could be counterproductive.

Calling for an &quot;enlightened debate&quot; on the issue, Gabriel said that &quot;to constantly accuse each other of betraying values will neither get someone out of jail nor will it strengthen us&quot;.

Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey's 2016 failed coup

Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday hosts his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks as Berlin and Ankara try to end a festering crisis. Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey's 2016 failed coup and subsequent crackdown which saw tens of thousands arrested, including several German or dual citizens. Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish community, last year advised its investors and holiday-makers to avoid Turkey and urged a cut in EU funding linked to its stalled membership talks. However, Ankara has in recent weeks sent a flurry of signals that it wants a return to warmer relations with the EU and Germany, at a time it is on tense terms with the United States, Israel and some Gulf states. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having declared last month that Turkey "must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends", met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Friday. Adding a personal touch to Saturday's talks, Gabriel has invited Turkey's foreign minister to his home town of Goslar, after the two had meet in November in Cavusoglu`s southern home region of Antalya. Following press statements around 1000 GMT, Gabriel will take his guest on a stroll through the heritage-listed medieval old town of Goslar, situated near Brunswick on the slopes of the Harz mountains. Cavusoglu in a newspaper commentary Friday urged an end to the "megaphone diplomacy" between Turkey and Germany and a "fresh start" based on friendship and cooperation between "equal partners". Germany also sought a "step by step" rapprochement and said Saturday's talks would cover a full range of topics including the "difficult" ones, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.The main hurdle now is the detention of Die Welt daily's German-Turkish correspondent Deniz Yucel on terror charges since last February, and of another six Germans Berlin says are jailed for "political reasons". Turkey has in recent weeks released several of the Germans whom Gabriel has labelled "hostages", among them journalist Mesale Tolu. Hopes grew that Yucel's case too could be resolved after the Turkish government this week addressed it for the first time in 10 months with a submission to the constitutional court, which could soon rule on whether to release him from pre-trial detention. Cavusoglu stressed the independence of Turkish courts but pledged that "we`re doing everything in our political power to speed up the judicial process". The bilateral crisis of recent years has been fuelled by other disputes -- over a German TV comic harshly lampooning Erdogan, a 2016 German parliamentary resolution on the Armenian genocide, and Turkey denying military base visits to German MPs. Ankara has accused Berlin of failing to pursue followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it blames for the 2016 coup attempt, and of failing to crack down on Kurdish militants. When Germany last year repeatedly denied Turkish politicians' requests to campaign for votes among the Turkish-German community, Ankara accused the government of "Nazi methods". But Gabriel recently suggested to news weekly Der Spiegel that Western countries should tone down lecturing Erdogan's Turkey on democratic values because it could be counterproductive. Calling for an "enlightened debate" on the issue, Gabriel said that "to constantly accuse each other of betraying values will neither get someone out of jail nor will it strengthen us".

German, Turkish top diplomats meet to ease row

One of the major Islamic countries of Europe, Turkey is the only Islamic country which is part of America-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. When Mustafa Kamal Ataturk fought the Turkish War of Independence, he himself did not think that the country would be in such a state after few decades. The country has been inhibited by Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians and other communities before, finally, surrendering to Islamic invaders in the late eleventh century.

&nbsp;

Traditionally, Turkey had been considered as a moderate Islamic country but in the recent times, the inclination of this country, which acts as a bridge between Europe and Asia, had been overtly hard-line Islamic, making it a matter of concern.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 1952, when the Cold War started and America wanted to isolate the then mighty USSR, it had no option but to include Turkey in the NATO.&nbsp; Particularly, because the country was virtually controlling every movement from the Black Sea and, indirectly,&nbsp; was restricting the entire USSR Navy to operate in global waters.

&nbsp;

During the initial phase of Cold War, Turkey got immensely benefited from the economic, political and diplomatic support of United States and emerged as one of the major allies of the European Union. Even after the Cold War ended, the Mediterranean country&rsquo;s importance did not reduce but because of its strategic location and active support to America in all perspectives, it flourished.

&nbsp;

Even till now, Turkey has the second biggest standing force in NATO with over 5 lakh soldiers. Not only this, it is governed by the nuclear weapon sharing programme with the US. Accordingly, the US has housed a total of 90 B61 Nuclear warheads at its Incirlik Air Base, out of which 40 are at the disposal of Turkish Air Force.

&nbsp;

In 1991, Turkey played an important role in establishing NATO footholds in the Central Asian countries, which were liberated out of erstwhile USSR since they share the same culture and linguistic heritage. Things were going fine but after the win of AKP in the elections in 2002, the situation started deteriorating. Earlier Turkey used to support every move of the United States but for the first time in 2003, a major part of the AKP legislatures joined the Opposition party to prevent the government from supporting US decision to invade Iraq from the Turkish Territory.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

That was a game-changing moment.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tayyip Recep Erdogan had been one of the founders of AKP and is considered a hardliner Islamic politician. Everyone feared that his becoming the President will negatively affect the secular nature of Turkey. And the fear came true when he took over the country as Prime Minister in 2003 and then as President in 2014.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Erdogan started affecting the country&rsquo;s politics soon after his party came to power. He negotiated the membership of Turkey with the European Union, made changes in the Constitution in 2007 and 2010 and curbed the powers of his military, anticipating any future coup.

&nbsp;

He actively supported some hardliner Islamic movements within the country and nurtured their leaders and this is what disturbs the West. The over-inclination of Erdogan with the hardliner Islamic elements, the ISIS factor, the recent statements of the Turkish government against the US are challenging the existence of the country as a major NATO ally.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There are several other issues too.&nbsp; The US support to Kurdish fighters is a point of friction as is Turkey supporting some of the ISIS elements. Turkish government officials gave statements, indicating the US as their enemy in open forum. Turkey believes that the US supported FETO movement to the July 2016 Coup. Turkey&rsquo;s increasing inclination to Russia and its joining of Moscow-Beijing led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is another matter of concern.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Turkey is not only doing joint military exercises with Russia but also procuring S-400 Anti-Missile system, which will be integrated with the NATO defence systems. This is a clear breach of trust. US has also included Turkey as a joint partner in F-35 Program, which is a sensitive military programme but with the current inclination of this country, a leakage of technology into wrong hands can&rsquo;t be ruled out. The support of Turkey to Pakistan and some of its terror elements is also a serious matter of concern.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But what is compelling the US to keep Turkey as its major NATO ally? Because even keeping Turkey out of NATO is not easy for the US as this organisation is run by consensus and, if needed, Turkey could paralyse all decisions, impacting the efficiency of NATO.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What Erdogan thinks is that by playing this game, he can be in a win-win situation with respect to both the US and Russia. But if he would ever compare himself to these two countries, one led by a sharp businessman and other by an ex KGB operative, Erdogan is a novice and he must accept that.

&nbsp;

Ironically, Turkey is caught between his own moves and this would not lead the country anywhere. There are serious undercurrents in the government which was evident from the July 2016 Coup. Different governments have different ideologies and priorities which affect the nation to a great sense. The future has a lot in store for Turkey.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Keeping Turkey out of NATO is not easy for the US as this organisation is run by consensus and, if needed, Turkey could paralyse all decisions, impacting the efficiency of NATO.

One of the major Islamic countries of Europe, Turkey is the only Islamic country which is part of America-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. When Mustafa Kamal Ataturk fought the Turkish War of Independence, he himself did not think that the country would be in such a state after few decades. The country has been inhibited by Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians and other communities before, finally, surrendering to Islamic invaders in the late eleventh century. Traditionally, Turkey had been considered as a moderate Islamic country but in the recent times, the inclination of this country, which acts as a bridge between Europe and Asia, had been overtly hard-line Islamic, making it a matter of concern. In 1952, when the Cold War started and America wanted to isolate the then mighty USSR, it had no option but to include Turkey in the NATO. Particularly, because the country was virtually controlling every movement from the Black Sea and, indirectly, was restricting the entire USSR Navy to operate in global waters. During the initial phase of Cold War, Turkey got immensely benefited from the economic, political and diplomatic support of United States and emerged as one of the major allies of the European Union. Even after the Cold War ended, the Mediterranean country’s importance did not reduce but because of its strategic location and active support to America in all perspectives, it flourished. Even till now, Turkey has the second biggest standing force in NATO with over 5 lakh soldiers. Not only this, it is governed by the nuclear weapon sharing programme with the US. Accordingly, the US has housed a total of 90 B61 Nuclear warheads at its Incirlik Air Base, out of which 40 are at the disposal of Turkish Air Force. In 1991, Turkey played an important role in establishing NATO footholds in the Central Asian countries, which were liberated out of erstwhile USSR since they share the same culture and linguistic heritage. Things were going fine but after the win of AKP in the elections in 2002, the situation started deteriorating. Earlier Turkey used to support every move of the United States but for the first time in 2003, a major part of the AKP legislatures joined the Opposition party to prevent the government from supporting US decision to invade Iraq from the Turkish Territory. That was a game-changing moment. Tayyip Recep Erdogan had been one of the founders of AKP and is considered a hardliner Islamic politician. Everyone feared that his becoming the President will negatively affect the secular nature of Turkey. And the fear came true when he took over the country as Prime Minister in 2003 and then as President in 2014. Erdogan started affecting the country’s politics soon after his party came to power. He negotiated the membership of Turkey with the European Union, made changes in the Constitution in 2007 and 2010 and curbed the powers of his military, anticipating any future coup. He actively supported some hardliner Islamic movements within the country and nurtured their leaders and this is what disturbs the West. The over-inclination of Erdogan with the hardliner Islamic elements, the ISIS factor, the recent statements of the Turkish government against the US are challenging the existence of the country as a major NATO ally. There are several other issues too. The US support to Kurdish fighters is a point of friction as is Turkey supporting some of the ISIS elements. Turkish government officials gave statements, indicating the US as their enemy in open forum. Turkey believes that the US supported FETO movement to the July 2016 Coup. Turkey’s increasing inclination to Russia and its joining of Moscow-Beijing led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is another matter of concern. Turkey is not only doing joint military exercises with Russia but also procuring S-400 Anti-Missile system, which will be integrated with the NATO defence systems. This is a clear breach of trust. US has also included Turkey as a joint partner in F-35 Program, which is a sensitive military programme but with the current inclination of this country, a leakage of technology into wrong hands can’t be ruled out. The support of Turkey to Pakistan and some of its terror elements is also a serious matter of concern. But what is compelling the US to keep Turkey as its major NATO ally? Because even keeping Turkey out of NATO is not easy for the US as this organisation is run by consensus and, if needed, Turkey could paralyse all decisions, impacting the efficiency of NATO. What Erdogan thinks is that by playing this game, he can be in a win-win situation with respect to both the US and Russia. But if he would ever compare himself to these two countries, one led by a sharp businessman and other by an ex KGB operative, Erdogan is a novice and he must accept that. Ironically, Turkey is caught between his own moves and this would not lead the country anywhere. There are serious undercurrents in the government which was evident from the July 2016 Coup. Different governments have different ideologies and priorities which affect the nation to a great sense. The future has a lot in store for Turkey. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Erdogan's Turkey a threat or a trusted ally of NATO?

&nbsp;US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a &quot;key role&quot; despite doubts over his future.

Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc&#39;s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea&#39;s missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia.

But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington.

And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States.

&quot;Last week&#39;s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range,&quot; Stoltenberg said yesterday.

&quot;The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution.&quot;

He said the 29-member alliance had been &quot;clear and consistent&quot; in its condemnation of Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions.

The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far.

But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic&#39;s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic.

Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out.

European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement.

&quot;Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe,&quot; Mogherini said on Friday.

Tillerson&#39;s Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: &quot;I call the final shots.&quot;

Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson&#39;s efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was &quot;wasting his time&quot; pursuing contacts with Pyongyang.

&quot;Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution,&quot; Stoltenberg said.

Tillerson has dismissed as &quot;laughable&quot; reports that Trump&#39;s closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Rex Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a "key role" despite doubts over his future. Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia. But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington. And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States. "Last week's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range," Stoltenberg said yesterday. "The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution." He said the 29-member alliance had been "clear and consistent" in its condemnation of Pyongyang's weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions. The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far. But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic. Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out. European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement. "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe," Mogherini said on Friday. Tillerson's Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: "I call the final shots." Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson's efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was "wasting his time" pursuing contacts with Pyongyang. "Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution," Stoltenberg said. Tillerson has dismissed as "laughable" reports that Trump's closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Tillerson to meet EU, NATO leaders to discuss North Korea

Rex Tillerson will meet European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday for talks on boosting transatlantic cooperation, the EU said, as the US secretary of state&#39;s political future appeared to hang by a thread.

&quot;Foreign affairs ministers will have an informal meeting with the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson in Brussels on 5 December,&quot; the European Council said Friday.

Tillerson is also expected to attend a NATO meeting on the same day.

With ties between Brussels and Washington strained by US President Donald Trump&#39;s &#39;America First&#39; policy, Tillerson, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and the ministers &quot;will discuss how to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on major global challenges.&quot;

Since Trump&#39;s election, the EU and US have disagreed on issues ranging from the Iran nuclear deal, climate change and trade.

Mogherini said in a letter to the EU ministers that she was &quot;convinced that the meeting will be an excellent opportunity to address topical foreign policy issues and discuss how we can strengthen transatlantic cooperation.&quot;

News of the visit comes as Trump refused to rule out Tillerson&#39;s imminent departure amid reports of a plan to replace the former oil man with CIA director Mike Pompeo, seen as more amenable to the president&#39;s hardline views.

Asked if he wants Tillerson to remain in his post, Trump said only that &quot;Rex is here&quot; at the White House, a break from the usual expression of confidence in such a circumstances.

The State Department said that Tillerson &quot;enjoys this job&quot;, adding that he also had meetings planned in Vienna and Paris.

With ties between Brussels and Washington strained by US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy, Tillerson, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and the ministers will discuss how to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on major global challenges

Rex Tillerson will meet European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday for talks on boosting transatlantic cooperation, the EU said, as the US secretary of state's political future appeared to hang by a thread. "Foreign affairs ministers will have an informal meeting with the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson in Brussels on 5 December," the European Council said Friday. Tillerson is also expected to attend a NATO meeting on the same day. With ties between Brussels and Washington strained by US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy, Tillerson, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and the ministers "will discuss how to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on major global challenges." Since Trump's election, the EU and US have disagreed on issues ranging from the Iran nuclear deal, climate change and trade. Mogherini said in a letter to the EU ministers that she was "convinced that the meeting will be an excellent opportunity to address topical foreign policy issues and discuss how we can strengthen transatlantic cooperation." News of the visit comes as Trump refused to rule out Tillerson's imminent departure amid reports of a plan to replace the former oil man with CIA director Mike Pompeo, seen as more amenable to the president's hardline views. Asked if he wants Tillerson to remain in his post, Trump said only that "Rex is here" at the White House, a break from the usual expression of confidence in such a circumstances. The State Department said that Tillerson "enjoys this job", adding that he also had meetings planned in Vienna and Paris.

Tillerson to meet EU ministers in Brussels on Tuesday

The top diplomats of Germany and Turkey on Saturday met for previously unannounced talks in a southern Turkish resort, as a range of bitter rows strain ties between the two NATO allies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hosted German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel for the informal talks in Antalya, both sides said in statements on Twitter.

Berlin has been outraged by the detention of German nationals under Turkey&#39;s state of emergency imposed after last year&#39;s failed coup, while Ankara has accused Germany of meddling in its affairs.

The meeting is the first between the two diplomats since tensions reached a new peak in the run-up to the German elections on September 24.

&quot;I met my colleague @sigmargabriel in Antalya informally to discuss bilateral relations; including the difficult issues and mutual expectations,&quot; Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

The German foreign ministry issued a similar statement.

Pictures showed the two men, dressed in jackets without ties, chatting informally under blue skies in Antalya, Cavusoglu&#39;s home region.

The meeting comes just over a week after German activist Peter Steudtner was released following his arrest along with members of Amnesty International in July on disputed terror charges.

Another German citizen, who was not identified, was also released in a separate case but cannot leave the country, the German foreign ministry said Friday.

But nine Germans still remain behind bars in Turkey including most prominently Die Welt daily correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was arrested in February, and German journalist Mesale Tolu.

Gabriel had last month thanked former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who retains warm personal ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for helping broker the releases.

But Ankara denied any such deal.

The tensions have risen into one of the worst ever crises between Turkey and Germany, which is home to a large Turkish minority. Berlin has repeatedly expressed scepticism about the future of Turkey&#39;s EU membership bid.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged a cut in EU funding linked to Turkey&#39;s membership talks to signal the bloc&#39;s unhappiness over the crackdown in the wake of the failed July 2016 coup.

The top diplomats of Germany and Turkey on Saturday met for previously unannounced talks in a southern Turkish resort, as a range of bitter rows strain ties between the two NATO allies

The top diplomats of Germany and Turkey on Saturday met for previously unannounced talks in a southern Turkish resort, as a range of bitter rows strain ties between the two NATO allies. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hosted German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel for the informal talks in Antalya, both sides said in statements on Twitter. Berlin has been outraged by the detention of German nationals under Turkey's state of emergency imposed after last year's failed coup, while Ankara has accused Germany of meddling in its affairs. The meeting is the first between the two diplomats since tensions reached a new peak in the run-up to the German elections on September 24. "I met my colleague @sigmargabriel in Antalya informally to discuss bilateral relations; including the difficult issues and mutual expectations," Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter. The German foreign ministry issued a similar statement. Pictures showed the two men, dressed in jackets without ties, chatting informally under blue skies in Antalya, Cavusoglu's home region. The meeting comes just over a week after German activist Peter Steudtner was released following his arrest along with members of Amnesty International in July on disputed terror charges. Another German citizen, who was not identified, was also released in a separate case but cannot leave the country, the German foreign ministry said Friday. But nine Germans still remain behind bars in Turkey including most prominently Die Welt daily correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was arrested in February, and German journalist Mesale Tolu. Gabriel had last month thanked former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who retains warm personal ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for helping broker the releases. But Ankara denied any such deal. The tensions have risen into one of the worst ever crises between Turkey and Germany, which is home to a large Turkish minority. Berlin has repeatedly expressed scepticism about the future of Turkey's EU membership bid. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged a cut in EU funding linked to Turkey's membership talks to signal the bloc's unhappiness over the crackdown in the wake of the failed July 2016 coup.

Germany, Turkey top diplomats hold talks amid tensions

Military intervention against North Korea would have &quot;devastating consequences&quot;, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday, after US President Donald Trump said diplomatic efforts had failed.

Tensions over North Korea&#39;s weapons programmes have soared in recent months, with Pyongyang launching a flurry of missiles and conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last month in defiance of international sanctions.

Trump&#39;s continued threats of military action against Pyongyang to tame its weapons ambitions have fuelled fears of a conflict on the Korean peninsula and next week the US and South Korea will begin a major naval drill as a show of force against the North.

Stoltenberg, who will visit South Korea and Japan in the coming weeks as a show of support, stressed that Washington had the right to defend itself and its allies, but called for greater diplomatic efforts.

&quot;The use of military force will have devastating consequences, I think nobody really wants that, therefore we need to continue to push for a negotiated solution,&quot; Stoltenberg said in an interview at NATO head quarters in Brussels.

&quot;The US has the right to defend itself, to defend its allies, but at same time I am absolutely certain no one wants a military solution, so we still see a united effort to try to step up the pressure against North Korea.&quot;

Trump met his national security team on Tuesday and discussed a &quot;range of options&quot; to respond to Pyongyang&#39;s repeated recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

The meeting came days after Trump, who last month threatened to &quot;destroy&quot; North Korea, said on Twitter that years of talks with Pyongyang had achieved nothing and &quot;only one thing will work&quot;.

&#39;Catastrophic consequences&#39;&nbsp;

Next week&#39;s naval drills in the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea will feature the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and two US destroyers alongside South Korean Navy vessels, part of a flurry of military hardware movement in the region in recent days.

Earlier this week two supersonic US heavy bombers flew over the Korean peninsula, staging the first night-time joint aviation exercises with Japan and South Korea, the latest in a series of flyovers.

NATO&#39;s covenant of self-defence, under which an attack on one member triggers a response from all, does not apply to South Korea or Japan despite their status as &quot;global partners&quot; and Stoltenberg stressed that NATO was &quot;not planning any military presence in that part of the world&quot;.

But he cautioned that a strike on Japan or South Korea would &quot;trigger a really dangerous situation, it would have catastrophic consequences&quot;.

And the growing range and accuracy seen in the North&#39;s missile tests have prompted the 29-nation alliance to review its missile defence system, which has been partially operational from a base in Romania since last year.

&quot;Our experts are working on technology, on how to improve our systems,&quot; Stoltenberg said.

The North Korea crisis will be high on the agenda at a meeting of EU foreign minister next week, where a fresh package of sanctions against Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime is set to be approved.

Three individuals and six entities will be added to the blacklist, a senior EU official said, and the bloc plans to step up diplomatic pressure on countries who are not enforcing tough international sanctions against the North.

A strike on Japan or South Korea would 'trigger a really dangerous situation, it would have catastrophic consequences', said Stoltenberg

Military intervention against North Korea would have "devastating consequences", NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday, after US President Donald Trump said diplomatic efforts had failed. Tensions over North Korea's weapons programmes have soared in recent months, with Pyongyang launching a flurry of missiles and conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last month in defiance of international sanctions. Trump's continued threats of military action against Pyongyang to tame its weapons ambitions have fuelled fears of a conflict on the Korean peninsula and next week the US and South Korea will begin a major naval drill as a show of force against the North. Stoltenberg, who will visit South Korea and Japan in the coming weeks as a show of support, stressed that Washington had the right to defend itself and its allies, but called for greater diplomatic efforts. "The use of military force will have devastating consequences, I think nobody really wants that, therefore we need to continue to push for a negotiated solution," Stoltenberg said in an interview at NATO head quarters in Brussels. "The US has the right to defend itself, to defend its allies, but at same time I am absolutely certain no one wants a military solution, so we still see a united effort to try to step up the pressure against North Korea." Trump met his national security team on Tuesday and discussed a "range of options" to respond to Pyongyang's repeated recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The meeting came days after Trump, who last month threatened to "destroy" North Korea, said on Twitter that years of talks with Pyongyang had achieved nothing and "only one thing will work". 'Catastrophic consequences' Next week's naval drills in the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea will feature the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and two US destroyers alongside South Korean Navy vessels, part of a flurry of military hardware movement in the region in recent days. Earlier this week two supersonic US heavy bombers flew over the Korean peninsula, staging the first night-time joint aviation exercises with Japan and South Korea, the latest in a series of flyovers. NATO's covenant of self-defence, under which an attack on one member triggers a response from all, does not apply to South Korea or Japan despite their status as "global partners" and Stoltenberg stressed that NATO was "not planning any military presence in that part of the world". But he cautioned that a strike on Japan or South Korea would "trigger a really dangerous situation, it would have catastrophic consequences". And the growing range and accuracy seen in the North's missile tests have prompted the 29-nation alliance to review its missile defence system, which has been partially operational from a base in Romania since last year. "Our experts are working on technology, on how to improve our systems," Stoltenberg said. The North Korea crisis will be high on the agenda at a meeting of EU foreign minister next week, where a fresh package of sanctions against Kim Jong-Un's regime is set to be approved. Three individuals and six entities will be added to the blacklist, a senior EU official said, and the bloc plans to step up diplomatic pressure on countries who are not enforcing tough international sanctions against the North.

NATO warns N.Korea military action would have 'devastating consequences'

From planes, radars and ships in the Baltics, NATO officials say they are watching Russia&#39;s biggest war games since 2013 with &quot;calm and confidence&quot;, but many are unnerved about what they see as Moscow testing its ability to wage war against the West.

NATO believes the exercises, officially starting on Thursday in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, are already underway.

It says they are larger than Moscow has publicised, numbering some 100,000 troops, and involve firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

Codenamed Zapad or &quot;West&quot;, NATO officials say the drills will simulate a conflict with the US-led alliance intended to show Russia&#39;s ability to mass large numbers of troops at very short notice in the event of a conflict.

&quot;NATO remains calm and vigilant,&quot; NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week during a visit to an Estonian army base where British troops have been stationed since March.

But Lithuania&#39;s Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis was less sanguine, voicing widely-felt fears that the drills risk triggering an accidental conflict or could allow Moscow to leave troops in neighbouring Belarus.

&quot;We can&#39;t be totally calm. There is a large foreign army massed next to Lithuanian territory,&quot; he told Reuters.

Some Western officials including the head of the US&nbsp;Army in Europe, Gen&nbsp;Ben Hodges, have raised concerns that Russia might use the drills as a &quot;Trojan horse&quot; to make incursions into Poland and Russian-speaking regions in the Baltics.

The Kremlin firmly rejects any such plans. Russia says some 13,000 troops from Russia and Belarus will be involved in the Sept. 14-20 drills, below an international threshold that requires large numbers of outside observers.

NATO will send three experts to so-called &#39;visitor days&#39; during the exercises, but a NATO official said these were no substitute for meeting internationally-agreed norms at such exercises that include talking to soldiers and briefings.

Moscow says it is the West that threatens stability in eastern Europe because the US-led NATO alliance has put a 4,000-strong multinational force in the Baltics and Poland.

Wrong-footed by Moscow in the recent past, with Russia&#39;s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its intervention in Syria&#39;s war in 2015, NATO is distrustful of the Kremlin&#39;s public message.

In Crimea, Moscow proved a master of &quot;hybrid warfare&quot;, with its mix of cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and use of Russian and local forces without insignia.

One senior European security official said Zapad would merge manoeuvres across Russia&#39;s four western military districts in a &quot;complex, multi-dimensional aggressive, anti-NATO exercise&quot;.

&quot;It is all smoke and mirrors,&quot; the official said, adding that the Soviet-era Zapad exercises that were revived in 1999 had included simulated nuclear strikes on Europe.

NATO officials say they have been watching Russia&#39;s preparations for months, including the use of hundreds of rail cars to carry tanks and other heavy equipment into Belarus.

As a precaution, the US&nbsp;Army has moved 600 paratroopers to the Baltics during Zapad and has taken over guardianship of the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which lack capable air forces and air defence systems.

NATO&#39;s Next Move?

Russia&#39;s military show of force raises some uncomfortable questions for the alliance because NATO cannot yet mass large numbers of troops quickly, despite the United States&#39; military might, NATO officials and diplomats said.

NATO, a 29-nation defence pact created in 1949 to deter the Soviet threat, has already begun its biggest modernisation since the Cold War, sending four battalions to the Baltics and Poland, setting up an agile, high-readiness spearhead force, and developing its cyberspace defences.

But NATO has deliberately taken a slowly-slowly approach to its military build-up to avoid being sucked into a new arms race, even as Russia has stationed anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles in Kaliningrad, the Black Sea and Syria.

&quot;The last thing we want is a military escalation with Russia,&quot; said one senior NATO official involved in military planning, referring to Zapad.

In the event of any potential Russian incursion into the Baltics or Poland, NATO&#39;s new multinational forces would quickly need large reinforcements. But a 40,000-strong force agreed in 2015 is still being developed, officials say.

Lithuania&#39;s Karoblis said he hoped to see progress by the next summit of NATO leaders in July 2018.

Baltic politicians want more discretion given to NATO to fight any aggressor in the event of an attack, without waiting for the go-ahead from allied governments.

During Zapad, NATO is taking a low-key approach by running few exercises, including an annual sniper exercise in Lithuania. Only non-NATO member Sweden is holding a large-scale drill.

NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Everard told Reuters there was no need to mirror Zapad. &quot;It&#39;s not a competition,&quot; he said during a visit to NATO forces in Latvia.

Russia is holding its biggest war games since 2013 simulating a war like situation with the US

From planes, radars and ships in the Baltics, NATO officials say they are watching Russia's biggest war games since 2013 with "calm and confidence", but many are unnerved about what they see as Moscow testing its ability to wage war against the West. NATO believes the exercises, officially starting on Thursday in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, are already underway. It says they are larger than Moscow has publicised, numbering some 100,000 troops, and involve firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Codenamed Zapad or "West", NATO officials say the drills will simulate a conflict with the US-led alliance intended to show Russia's ability to mass large numbers of troops at very short notice in the event of a conflict. "NATO remains calm and vigilant," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week during a visit to an Estonian army base where British troops have been stationed since March. But Lithuania's Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis was less sanguine, voicing widely-felt fears that the drills risk triggering an accidental conflict or could allow Moscow to leave troops in neighbouring Belarus. "We can't be totally calm. There is a large foreign army massed next to Lithuanian territory," he told Reuters. Some Western officials including the head of the US Army in Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, have raised concerns that Russia might use the drills as a "Trojan horse" to make incursions into Poland and Russian-speaking regions in the Baltics. The Kremlin firmly rejects any such plans. Russia says some 13,000 troops from Russia and Belarus will be involved in the Sept. 14-20 drills, below an international threshold that requires large numbers of outside observers. NATO will send three experts to so-called 'visitor days' during the exercises, but a NATO official said these were no substitute for meeting internationally-agreed norms at such exercises that include talking to soldiers and briefings. Moscow says it is the West that threatens stability in eastern Europe because the US-led NATO alliance has put a 4,000-strong multinational force in the Baltics and Poland. Wrong-footed by Moscow in the recent past, with Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its intervention in Syria's war in 2015, NATO is distrustful of the Kremlin's public message. In Crimea, Moscow proved a master of "hybrid warfare", with its mix of cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and use of Russian and local forces without insignia. One senior European security official said Zapad would merge manoeuvres across Russia's four western military districts in a "complex, multi-dimensional aggressive, anti-NATO exercise". "It is all smoke and mirrors," the official said, adding that the Soviet-era Zapad exercises that were revived in 1999 had included simulated nuclear strikes on Europe. NATO officials say they have been watching Russia's preparations for months, including the use of hundreds of rail cars to carry tanks and other heavy equipment into Belarus. As a precaution, the US Army has moved 600 paratroopers to the Baltics during Zapad and has taken over guardianship of the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which lack capable air forces and air defence systems. NATO's Next Move? Russia's military show of force raises some uncomfortable questions for the alliance because NATO cannot yet mass large numbers of troops quickly, despite the United States' military might, NATO officials and diplomats said. NATO, a 29-nation defence pact created in 1949 to deter the Soviet threat, has already begun its biggest modernisation since the Cold War, sending four battalions to the Baltics and Poland, setting up an agile, high-readiness spearhead force, and developing its cyberspace defences. But NATO has deliberately taken a slowly-slowly approach to its military build-up to avoid being sucked into a new arms race, even as Russia has stationed anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles in Kaliningrad, the Black Sea and Syria. "The last thing we want is a military escalation with Russia," said one senior NATO official involved in military planning, referring to Zapad. In the event of any potential Russian incursion into the Baltics or Poland, NATO's new multinational forces would quickly need large reinforcements. But a 40,000-strong force agreed in 2015 is still being developed, officials say. Lithuania's Karoblis said he hoped to see progress by the next summit of NATO leaders in July 2018. Baltic politicians want more discretion given to NATO to fight any aggressor in the event of an attack, without waiting for the go-ahead from allied governments. During Zapad, NATO is taking a low-key approach by running few exercises, including an annual sniper exercise in Lithuania. Only non-NATO member Sweden is holding a large-scale drill. NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Everard told Reuters there was no need to mirror Zapad. "It's not a competition," he said during a visit to NATO forces in Latvia.

Russia's Zapad war games ring alarm bells among NATO members

NATO&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;General&nbsp;Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday welcomed President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to dispatch <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-clears-way-for-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-19283">more troops to&nbsp;Afghanistan</a>.

&quot;NATO&nbsp;remains fully committed to&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and I am looking forward to discussing the way ahead with (Defense)&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;(James) Mattis and our Allies and international partners,&quot; Stoltenberg said in a statement.&nbsp;

NATO&nbsp;has 12,000 troops in&nbsp;Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, Stoltenberg said.

NATO?has 12,000 troops in?Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, NATO?Secretary?General?Jens Stoltenberg said

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to dispatch more troops to Afghanistan. "NATO remains fully committed to Afghanistan and I am looking forward to discussing the way ahead with (Defense) Secretary (James) Mattis and our Allies and international partners," Stoltenberg said in a statement. NATO has 12,000 troops in Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, Stoltenberg said.

NATO Secretary General welcomes new US approach on Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday he will present a new US military strategy for Afghanistan, along with adjusted troop numbers, in the coming weeks to President Donald Trump.

American military commanders in Afghanistan and the surrounding region have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there.

&quot;Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set a US military commitment consistent with the commander in chief&#39;s strategic directions and his foreign policy, as dictated by Secretary of State Tillerson,&quot; Mattis told lawmakers during a hearing at the Senate Appropriations Committee.

&quot;The revised Afghanistan strategy with the new approach will be presented to the president for his approval in the coming weeks.&quot;

His remarks came a day after Trump granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, currently at around 8,400.

Mattis said the decision would come in consultation with other US government agencies in a more comprehensive approach to the conflict.

Prior to the White House decision, Mattis had warned that the Taliban was surging -- having claimed a series of deadly attacks, including against Afghan military bases and positions -- and that America still was &quot;not winning&quot; in the country nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion there.&nbsp;

(AFP)

American military commanders in Afghanistan have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday he will present a new US military strategy for Afghanistan, along with adjusted troop numbers, in the coming weeks to President Donald Trump. American military commanders in Afghanistan and the surrounding region have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there. "Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set a US military commitment consistent with the commander in chief's strategic directions and his foreign policy, as dictated by Secretary of State Tillerson," Mattis told lawmakers during a hearing at the Senate Appropriations Committee. "The revised Afghanistan strategy with the new approach will be presented to the president for his approval in the coming weeks." His remarks came a day after Trump granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, currently at around 8,400. Mattis said the decision would come in consultation with other US government agencies in a more comprehensive approach to the conflict. Prior to the White House decision, Mattis had warned that the Taliban was surging -- having claimed a series of deadly attacks, including against Afghan military bases and positions -- and that America still was "not winning" in the country nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion there. (AFP)

US to make Afghanistan troop announcement in weeks: Mattis

President Trump is expected to pull out of the Paris climate change accord later on Thursday (read WION&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-announce-paris-climate-deal-decision-thursday-16284">report here</a>.) He has recently even made noises about withdrawing from the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/04/trump-nafta-withdrawal-order/524463/">North American Free Trade Agreement</a> and cutting funding for the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-imf-worldbank-idUSKBN17L313">World Bank</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-allies-not-spending-enough-to-shore-up-defences-trump-16049">NATO</a> military alliance.

So we ask the question, what else could Trump pull the US out of? How else will Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/trump-and-the-coming-deat_b_12915974.html">hostility to multilateralism</a> manifest itself

Here&#39;s a graphic looking at major international organisations and treaties and how long the US has been associated with them.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="365" id="datawrapper-chart-AInOU" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AInOU/1/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["AInOU"]={},window.datawrapper["AInOU"].embedDeltas={"100":571,"200":425,"300":408,"400":365,"500":365,"600":365,"700":348,"800":348,"900":348,"1000":348},window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-AInOU"),window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["AInOU"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("AInOU"==b)window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

The thing to keep in mind is that there are several treaties such as the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2016/09/26/whats-the-deal-with-senate-republicans-and-the-test-ban-treaty/">Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty</a>, the Ottawa Treaty (banning mines) and organisations such as the <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/apr/24/chain-email/chain-email-says-barack-obama-wants-us-joint-inter/">International Criminal Court</a> that the US is not a part of.

So this&nbsp;unilateral route that Trump is taking is nothing new. Sadly, it&#39;s a road the US has been on for some time now.

President Trump could pull the US out of the Paris climate deal later today. So what does Trump have his eyes on next?

President Trump is expected to pull out of the Paris climate change accord later on Thursday (read WION's report here.) He has recently even made noises about withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement and cutting funding for the World Bank and NATO military alliance. So we ask the question, what else could Trump pull the US out of? How else will Trump's hostility to multilateralism manifest itself Here's a graphic looking at major international organisations and treaties and how long the US has been associated with them. The thing to keep in mind is that there are several treaties such as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Ottawa Treaty (banning mines) and organisations such as the International Criminal Court that the US is not a part of. So this unilateral route that Trump is taking is nothing new. Sadly, it's a road the US has been on for some time now.

Infographic: After Paris climate accord, will Trump pull out of NATO?

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

&quot;The Germans are bad, very bad,&quot; he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine&#39;s online edition said.

&quot;See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this,&quot; he reportedly said according to &quot;participants at the meeting&quot;. Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone.&nbsp;

Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report.

Trump&#39;s reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for &quot;not paying what they should be paying&quot; and did not declare his commitment to the alliance&#39;s collective defence guarantee.

Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel.

In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany&#39;s substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation.

After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as &quot;GREAT&quot;, Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing &quot;vast sums of money&quot; to NATO and the US.

For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign.

(AFP)

Trump accused Germany of selling millions of cars in the US during a meeting with EU officials, reports Der Spiegel

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported. "The Germans are bad, very bad," he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine's online edition said. "See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this," he reportedly said according to "participants at the meeting". Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone. Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy. Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report. Trump's reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for "not paying what they should be paying" and did not declare his commitment to the alliance's collective defence guarantee. Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel. In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany's substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation. After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as "GREAT", Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO and the US. For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign. (AFP)

Donald Trump: 'The Germans are bad, very bad'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday intensified his accusations that NATO allies were not spending enough on defence and said more attacks such as this week&#39;s bombing in Manchester would take place unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed &quot;massive amounts of money&quot; to the United States and NATO, even though allied contributions are voluntary, with multiple budgets.

His scripted comments contrasted with NATO&#39;s choreographed efforts to play up the West&#39;s unity by inviting Trump to unveil a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States at the new NATO headquarters.

&quot;We will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace,&quot; Trump said in the speech before a dinner with leaders.

&quot;Terrorism must be stopped or ... the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever,&quot; Trump said, referring to Monday&#39;s suicide bombing in the northern English city that killed 22 people, including children.

Trump called on NATO, an organisation founded on collective defence against the Soviet threat, to include limiting immigration in its tasks as well as fighting terrorism and deterring Russia.

NATO leaders wanted Trump to publicly support the military alliance that he had called &quot;obsolete&quot; during his campaign.

But he instead returned to a grievance about Europe&#39;s drop in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and failed to publicly commit to NATO&#39;s founding Article V rule which stipulates that an attack on one ally is an attack against all.

&quot;Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying for their defence,&quot; Trump said, standing by a piece of the wreckage of the Twin Towers.

&quot;This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years,&quot; Trump said as the other leaders watched.

Nicholas Burns, a former long-time diplomat and ambassador to NATO from 2001-2005, now a professor at Harvard&#39;s Kennedy School of Government, said every U.S. president since Harry Truman had pledged support for Article V and that the United States would defend Europe.

&quot;Not so Trump today at NATO. Major mistake,&quot; he said on Twitter.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump was &quot;100 percent&quot; committed to collective defence. &quot;We are not playing cutesie with this. He is fully committed,&quot; Spicer said.

Bare Minimum

Praise was always going to be in short supply after Trump&#39;s sharp election campaign criticism of the alliance, which he blamed for not doing more to combat terrorism.

Last year, Trump threatened to abandon US allies in Europe if they did not spend enough on defence, comments that were particularly unnerving for the ex-Soviet Baltic states on Russia&#39;s border which fear Moscow might try a repeat of its 2014 annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimea.

Although he has since softened his tone in phone calls and meetings with Western leaders, Trump&#39;s sharp words on Thursday recalled his awkward meeting with Angela Merkel in March, when he pressed the German chancellor for Germany to meet NATO&#39;s military spending target.

NATO diplomats planned to placate Trump with a pledge on Thursday to agree to national plans by the end of this year showing how NATO allies will meet a promise to spend 2 percent of economic output every year on defence by 2024.

But Trump increased the pressure, calling that agreement made at a summit in Wales in 2014 &quot;the bare minimum&quot;.

&quot;Even 2 per cent of GDP is insufficient ... 2 percent is the bare minimum for confronting today&#39;s very real and very viscous threats,&quot; Trump said.

He also made his presence felt at his first NATO summit, literally, pushing his way past Montenego&#39;s prime minister, Dusko Markovic, whose country joins the organisation next month, in footage that went viral.

Spicer said he had not seen the video but assumed the US president was moving to his designated spot.

NATO nonetheless strived to impress Trump with allied jets flying overhead and a walk through the new glass headquarters, which replaces a 1960s prefab structure.

Trump, a real estate magnate, called the building &quot;beautiful&quot; and joked that he did not dare ask how much it cost.

It was left to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to try to hammer home the message of unity.

&quot;NATO is more than a club, more than an organisation. NATO embodies the unique bond between Europe and North America,&quot; Stoltenberg said. &quot;As we raise our flags today, our alliance stands strong united and resolute,&quot; he said.

In one nod to Trump, NATO leaders are due to agree later on Thursday for the Western military bloc to join the US-led, 68-nation coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed 'massive amounts of money' to the United States and NATO

US President Donald Trump on Thursday intensified his accusations that NATO allies were not spending enough on defence and said more attacks such as this week's bombing in Manchester would take place unless the alliance did more to stop militants. In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed "massive amounts of money" to the United States and NATO, even though allied contributions are voluntary, with multiple budgets. His scripted comments contrasted with NATO's choreographed efforts to play up the West's unity by inviting Trump to unveil a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States at the new NATO headquarters. "We will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace," Trump said in the speech before a dinner with leaders. "Terrorism must be stopped or ... the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever," Trump said, referring to Monday's suicide bombing in the northern English city that killed 22 people, including children. Trump called on NATO, an organisation founded on collective defence against the Soviet threat, to include limiting immigration in its tasks as well as fighting terrorism and deterring Russia. NATO leaders wanted Trump to publicly support the military alliance that he had called "obsolete" during his campaign. But he instead returned to a grievance about Europe's drop in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and failed to publicly commit to NATO's founding Article V rule which stipulates that an attack on one ally is an attack against all. "Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying for their defence," Trump said, standing by a piece of the wreckage of the Twin Towers. "This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years," Trump said as the other leaders watched. Nicholas Burns, a former long-time diplomat and ambassador to NATO from 2001-2005, now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, said every U.S. president since Harry Truman had pledged support for Article V and that the United States would defend Europe. "Not so Trump today at NATO. Major mistake," he said on Twitter. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump was "100 percent" committed to collective defence. "We are not playing cutesie with this. He is fully committed," Spicer said. Bare Minimum Praise was always going to be in short supply after Trump's sharp election campaign criticism of the alliance, which he blamed for not doing more to combat terrorism. Last year, Trump threatened to abandon US allies in Europe if they did not spend enough on defence, comments that were particularly unnerving for the ex-Soviet Baltic states on Russia's border which fear Moscow might try a repeat of its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. Although he has since softened his tone in phone calls and meetings with Western leaders, Trump's sharp words on Thursday recalled his awkward meeting with Angela Merkel in March, when he pressed the German chancellor for Germany to meet NATO's military spending target. NATO diplomats planned to placate Trump with a pledge on Thursday to agree to national plans by the end of this year showing how NATO allies will meet a promise to spend 2 percent of economic output every year on defence by 2024. But Trump increased the pressure, calling that agreement made at a summit in Wales in 2014 "the bare minimum". "Even 2 per cent of GDP is insufficient ... 2 percent is the bare minimum for confronting today's very real and very viscous threats," Trump said. He also made his presence felt at his first NATO summit, literally, pushing his way past Montenego's prime minister, Dusko Markovic, whose country joins the organisation next month, in footage that went viral. Spicer said he had not seen the video but assumed the US president was moving to his designated spot. NATO nonetheless strived to impress Trump with allied jets flying overhead and a walk through the new glass headquarters, which replaces a 1960s prefab structure. Trump, a real estate magnate, called the building "beautiful" and joked that he did not dare ask how much it cost. It was left to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to try to hammer home the message of unity. "NATO is more than a club, more than an organisation. NATO embodies the unique bond between Europe and North America," Stoltenberg said. "As we raise our flags today, our alliance stands strong united and resolute," he said. In one nod to Trump, NATO leaders are due to agree later on Thursday for the Western military bloc to join the US-led, 68-nation coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. (Reuters)

NATO allies not spending enough to shore up defences: Trump

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday.

Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey&#39;s southeast since 1984.

There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month.

The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces &quot;as necessary to ensure a clear victory&quot; in Raqqa, Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group&#39;s attacks against the West.

&quot;We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey,&quot; Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump&#39;s defence secretary, Jim Mattis.

&quot;We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally.&quot;

The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment.

The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey&#39;s Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say.

Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey.

&quot;Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we&#39;re going to sort it out and we&#39;ll figure out how we&#39;re going to do it,&quot; Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen.

Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year.

But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained.

White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: &quot;The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US&nbsp;and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future.&quot;

Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG&#39;s political affiliate, said the US decision was expected.

&quot;The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It&#39;s natural that they would provide weapons&quot; to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said.

In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq&#39;s Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate.

The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG&#39;s advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria&#39;s territorial integrity.

Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse.

&quot;But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn&#39;t give you all good options. That&#39;s the nature of war. It&#39;s not a good situation,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The Pentagon sees arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa.

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month. The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group's attacks against the West. "We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump's defence secretary, Jim Mattis. "We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally." The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF. One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment. The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey's Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say. Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey. "Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we're going to sort it out and we'll figure out how we're going to do it," Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen. Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year. But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained. White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: "The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future." Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG's political affiliate, said the US decision was expected. "The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It's natural that they would provide weapons" to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said. In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq's Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate. The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG's advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria's territorial integrity. Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse. "But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn't give you all good options. That's the nature of war. It's not a good situation," he said. (Reuters)

US to arm Syrian Kurds battling Islamic State, despite Turkish opposition

A draft of President Donald Trump&#39;s new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated.

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, &quot;open-ended&quot; military commitments.

&quot;We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American &#39;blood and treasure&#39; in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals,&quot; states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months.

&quot;We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups,&quot; it says.

However, it acknowledges that terrorism &quot;cannot be defeated with any sort of finality&quot;.

Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, &quot;As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011.&quot;

The process is aimed at ensuring &quot;the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies,&quot; Anton said. &quot;Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles.&quot;

Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones.

It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia.

Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say.

A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders.

&quot;If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy,&quot; said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday.

Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has &quot;diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago,&quot; the draft strategy said.

In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said.

Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University&#39;s Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters&#39; request, said the draft strategy &quot;paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture&quot; of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a &quot;triumphalist&quot; tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden&#39;s death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan.

Missing Phrase

The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered.

The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO.

It does not include a signature phrase from Trump&#39;s 2016 campaign, &quot;radical Islamic terrorism.&quot; Instead, it says that jihadist groups &quot;have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale.&quot;

The draft&#39;s first guiding principle is that the United States &quot;will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary.&quot;

The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, &quot;ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders.&quot;

The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and &quot;degrade their efforts to develop and deploy&quot; chemical and biological weapons.

Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities.

The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other &quot;soft power&quot; tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism.

In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made &quot;respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law&quot; the foremost of its guiding principles.

&quot;Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics,&quot; or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft &quot;a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it.&quot;

(Reuters)

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, 'open-ended' military commitments

A draft of President Donald Trump's new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated. The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, "open-ended" military commitments. "We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American 'blood and treasure' in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals," states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months. "We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups," it says. However, it acknowledges that terrorism "cannot be defeated with any sort of finality". Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, "As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011." The process is aimed at ensuring "the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies," Anton said. "Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles." Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones. It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia. Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say. A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders. "If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday. Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has "diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago," the draft strategy said. In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said. Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters' request, said the draft strategy "paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture" of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a "triumphalist" tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan. Missing Phrase The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered. The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump's "America First" foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO. It does not include a signature phrase from Trump's 2016 campaign, "radical Islamic terrorism." Instead, it says that jihadist groups "have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale." The draft's first guiding principle is that the United States "will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary." The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, "ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders." The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and "degrade their efforts to develop and deploy" chemical and biological weapons. Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities. The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other "soft power" tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism. In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made "respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law" the foremost of its guiding principles. "Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics," or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft "a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it." (Reuters)

Trump's new counter-terrorism strategy urges allies to do more to combat terrorism

Turkey&#39;s electoral authority on Wednesday rejected appeals to annul a referendum granting President Tayyip Erdogan wide new powers, but the main opposition CHP party said it would maintain its legal challenge to the result.

Sunday&#39;s referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey&#39;s political system since the founding of the republic nearly a century ago, giving Erdogan sweeping authority over the NATO member-state.

But the tight result of a highly charged campaign laid bare divisions, while European observers and the head of Turkey&#39;s bar associations union said a decision to count unstamped votes broke electoral law.

The High Electoral Board said it had assessed appeals from the CHP and two other parties at a seven-hour meeting, and rejected them by 10 to one.

In response, CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan said his party was considering taking its appeal to Turkey&#39;s Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights.

&quot;This is a serious legitimacy crisis. We will employ all legal ways available,&quot; Tezcan said.

Separately, Istanbul police detained 19 suspects on charges of attempted provocation for organising protests against the referendum, Dogan News Agency reported.

A defiant Erdogan has dismissed the complaints, saying the vote had finally put an end to debate over the powerful presidency he has long sought.

On Wednesday, the ruling AK Party set out plans for Erdogan to gradually resume leadership of the party, a step towards implementing the changes approved in Sunday&#39;s plebiscite.

Turkey&#39;s president has been required to remain above party politics, but that condition was removed in one of the referendum&#39;s 18 amendments.

Prime Minister and AKP leader Binali Yildirim said Erdogan could rejoin the party he founded in 2001 once official results - expected before the end of the month - were announced.

But he said the AKP would not hold a party congress until 2018, indicating Erdogan would not officially become its leader until then, despite widespread expectations that it would happen almost immediately.

Unfair Referendum

The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, which had appealed along with the CHP for the referendum to be annulled, said the late decision by the electoral board to allow unstamped ballots meant it was impossible to determine how many invalid or fake votes may have been counted.

HDP deputy chairman Mithat Sancar said the vote was also undermined by the fact that the campaign was held under emergency rule while the party&#39;s co-leaders were under arrest, that its candidates for polling station monitors had been rejected, and the &quot;Yes&quot; campaign had benefited from state resources.

&quot;This referendum will forever remain controversial,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;You cannot build a change in the political system on such a controversial and unfair referendum.&quot;

Metin Feyzioglu, head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, said the decision to count unstamped ballots, without keeping any record of them, removed the main safeguard against voting fraud.

&quot;What makes any country a democracy is the security of the ballot boxes,&quot; Feyzioglu told Reuters. &quot; ... If your ballots are unsafe, that means that regime is not a democracy.&quot;

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a critical report by European observers on the referendum contained several mistakes, which he believed were deliberate.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe said Sunday&#39;s referendum had been an uneven contest.

&quot;The OSCE&#39;s report has no reliability as their observations lack objectivity and are extremely partial,&quot; Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara.

(Reuters)

Sunday's referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey's political system since the founding of the republic

Turkey's electoral authority on Wednesday rejected appeals to annul a referendum granting President Tayyip Erdogan wide new powers, but the main opposition CHP party said it would maintain its legal challenge to the result. Sunday's referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey's political system since the founding of the republic nearly a century ago, giving Erdogan sweeping authority over the NATO member-state. But the tight result of a highly charged campaign laid bare divisions, while European observers and the head of Turkey's bar associations union said a decision to count unstamped votes broke electoral law. The High Electoral Board said it had assessed appeals from the CHP and two other parties at a seven-hour meeting, and rejected them by 10 to one. In response, CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan said his party was considering taking its appeal to Turkey's Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights. "This is a serious legitimacy crisis. We will employ all legal ways available," Tezcan said. Separately, Istanbul police detained 19 suspects on charges of attempted provocation for organising protests against the referendum, Dogan News Agency reported. A defiant Erdogan has dismissed the complaints, saying the vote had finally put an end to debate over the powerful presidency he has long sought. On Wednesday, the ruling AK Party set out plans for Erdogan to gradually resume leadership of the party, a step towards implementing the changes approved in Sunday's plebiscite. Turkey's president has been required to remain above party politics, but that condition was removed in one of the referendum's 18 amendments. Prime Minister and AKP leader Binali Yildirim said Erdogan could rejoin the party he founded in 2001 once official results - expected before the end of the month - were announced. But he said the AKP would not hold a party congress until 2018, indicating Erdogan would not officially become its leader until then, despite widespread expectations that it would happen almost immediately. Unfair Referendum The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, which had appealed along with the CHP for the referendum to be annulled, said the late decision by the electoral board to allow unstamped ballots meant it was impossible to determine how many invalid or fake votes may have been counted. HDP deputy chairman Mithat Sancar said the vote was also undermined by the fact that the campaign was held under emergency rule while the party's co-leaders were under arrest, that its candidates for polling station monitors had been rejected, and the "Yes" campaign had benefited from state resources. "This referendum will forever remain controversial," he told reporters. "You cannot build a change in the political system on such a controversial and unfair referendum." Metin Feyzioglu, head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, said the decision to count unstamped ballots, without keeping any record of them, removed the main safeguard against voting fraud. "What makes any country a democracy is the security of the ballot boxes," Feyzioglu told Reuters. " ... If your ballots are unsafe, that means that regime is not a democracy." Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a critical report by European observers on the referendum contained several mistakes, which he believed were deliberate. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe said Sunday's referendum had been an uneven contest. "The OSCE's report has no reliability as their observations lack objectivity and are extremely partial," Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara. (Reuters)

Turkey: Election board throws out appeal to annul referendum

Two of the outside contenders in France&#39;s presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round.

For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff.

But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates&#39; debates.

A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March.

That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations.

Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence.

&quot;We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,&quot; said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership.

Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille&#39;s Old Port district to hear Melenchon.

Fillon too is still hoping for an upset.

&quot;There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive,&quot; Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people.

There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes.

Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing.

&quot;I&#39;m not asking you to like me. I&#39;m asking you to back me, because this is about what&#39;s best for France,&quot; Fillon said.

With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise.

Even some of Fillon&#39;s supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn&#39;t trust the polls.

&quot;There were moments when we were really worried,&quot; said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife.

&quot;But he&#39;s done well considering everything that&#39;s been thrown at him. He&#39;s the most solid candidate, it&#39;s his policies that we like,&quot; he said.

Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon.

In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon&#39;s insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote.

Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes.

If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors.

(Reuters)

'We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,' said Melenchon, who aims to remove France from NATO and hold an EU referendum

Two of the outside contenders in France's presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round. For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff. But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates' debates. A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March. That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations. Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence. "We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach," said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership. Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille's Old Port district to hear Melenchon. Fillon too is still hoping for an upset. "There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive," Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people. There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes. Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing. "I'm not asking you to like me. I'm asking you to back me, because this is about what's best for France," Fillon said. With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise. Even some of Fillon's supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn't trust the polls. "There were moments when we were really worried," said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife. "But he's done well considering everything that's been thrown at him. He's the most solid candidate, it's his policies that we like," he said. Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon. In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon's insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote. Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes. If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors. (Reuters)

Fillon, Melenchon seek last-gasp boost in French presidential election

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