THE PRESS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1980. Greeks rejoin N.A.T.O. forces

Press, 21 October 1980, Page 20

THE PRESS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1980. Greeks rejoin N.A.T.O. forces

The war between . Iran and Iraq has probably given an urgency to the moves for Greece to become reintegrated into the military structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Talks on the subject had been going on for years before their success, which has just been announced. The basis of the agreement is a compromise plan put to the Governments of Greece and Turkey by the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, General Bernard Rogers. He carried on where his predecessor, General Alexander Haig, left off.

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus caused Greece to withdraw from the military side of N.A.T.O. in 1974, and Greece’s re-entry has been seen by Turkey to have implications on the balance of power between the two in the Agean Sea. Islands in the Aegean have also caused disputes. An understanding on the basis of a solution was reached in July, 1978; it has taken until October, 1980, to get the details sorted out.

That Turkey would be weakened by its domestic disorder and vulnerable to advances by the Soviet Union has long been feared by N.A.T.O. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan reinforced this fear. Since the outbreak of fighting between Iran and Iraq consideration has been given to the possibility that the war would spread from the Gulf into the Mediterranean. Bitterness between Greece and Turkey was also seen as a force that would weaken N.A.T.O. Turkey shares a border with the Soviet Union and with Iran and Iraq. Its loyalty to the West was seen as important strategically for the whole defence posture of N.A.T.O. The compromise agreement should make for a stronger N.A.T.O. in southern Europe.

The reintegration of Greece militarily into N.A.T.O. was aided partly by the man who has been Greece’s Prime Minister since May, Mr George Rallis. A. request for reintegration had been made some time ago by Mr Rallis: his

request was subject to certain conditions. He wanted reintegration partly because he did not want to see himself outflanked on an anti-American and anti-N.A.T.O. platform by the opposition parties in next year’s General Election. Although Greek forces were no longer part of the military command of N.A.T.0., American forces had four bases in Greece. Mr Rallis might have found the presence of the forces to be politically embarrassing when Greece was not part of the N.A.T.O. military command. He said as much to the British

Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, when she

visited Greece in September. Had Greece not been integrated into the military command again, the United States might have lost the use of the bases.

The move towards reconciliation was almost certainly facilitated by Turkey. This was in return for very substantial loans from Western allies, particularly .West Germany, as well as a very large loan from the International Monetary Fund, the largest ever made to a member country in relation to its quota. The recent coup in Turkey may also have hastened the day of acceptance. The military junta that now rules Turkey has shown itself pro-Western in leaning. Some of those who have been most outspoken in the past against any settlement with Greece over Cyprus and the Aegean deem it wise to remain silent. The junta also appointed Mr liter Turkmen as Foreign Minister. During the 19705, he served as Ambassador to Athens where, for a Turkish envoy, he was remarkably popular. More recently Mr Turkmen has been a top-ranking United Nations official. Turkey’s behaviour is that of any wise country which faces trouble on some borders and is mending fences with its neighbours on others. One of the interesting questions will be whether the accord reached with Greece will survive into a period when Turkey returns to democracy and' when the country’s leaders have to face a Parliamentary opposition which may then insist on a less conciliatory attitude towards Greece.